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wPresident Donald Trump announced plans for another meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin after a phone call between the two leaders on Thursday, in what seemed to be another sign. Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky faced a difficult journey When he visited the White House on Friday.
Exactly eight months ago, the Ukrainian president and his delegation were thrown out of the West Wing after an incident unprecedented oval office shouting match This included scolding the wartime leader for his choice of clothing and his alleged ingratitude towards the billions of dollars of defense aid and financial assistance Washington has provided since Russian troops invaded his country three years ago.
At the time, Trump rebuked Zelensky, who had come to Washington to press for more aid to drive Moscow’s forces from his lands, about how the Ukrainian leader was risking a “Third World War” by continuing a fight he played no role in starting.
It seemed as if Trump’s new administration was all set to end US support for Kiev.
But February now seems like a thing of the past forever.
Zelensky flew to Washington on Thursday to meet with some of Trump’s Cabinet and several US defense contractors before spending the night at the president’s official guest house across from the White House. When he arrived in the West Wing the next day, he was greeted by a smiling President whose mood appeared He was enthused by his previous Oval Office guest, Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli.
He and his delegation proceeded towards the Cabinet Room, where the cameras are rolling Trump introduced Zelensky in glowing terms once reserved for autocratic leaders he admires — including Putin.
“It’s an honor to be with a very strong leader, a man who has been through a lot,” Trump said.
He said Zelensky was “someone I know very well” and that they had “really got along very well” in recent months.
Trump added, “President Zelensky of Ukraine has been through a lot – I mean, he’s really been through a lot.” “He has been through a lot, and we have been through it all with him.”
Trump even went so far as to praise the more businesslike attire the Ukrainian leader has adopted since that February disaster, telling reporters that Zelensky “looks handsome” in tie-less dark suits and shirts and describing his outfit as “very stylish.”
Zelensky came to Washington to ask Trump for US-made Tomahawk missiles – small, pilotless aircraft that can fly up to 1,000 miles before striking a target with incredible accuracy.
Ukraine’s armed forces are desperate for American-made weapons because they would give Kiev the ability to strike deep into Russian territory – all the way to Moscow or beyond. The missiles would allow Ukraine to retaliate against Russia’s myriad attacks against civilian targets, often carrying out brazen strikes with Russian-made counterparts.
trumpJoe Biden, who has been mostly reluctant to take any action against what he sees as increased U.S. involvement in the nearly four-year-old conflict, acknowledged to reporters that providing long-range weapons to Ukraine would be “escalating,” but said the matter would still be discussed.
He also repeatedly claimed that Putin, in his estimation, still wants to end the war, and said he and the Russian leader “looked at a lot of details” during their two-hour phone call this week.
The president did not say he would provide Ukraine with the cruise missiles requested by Zelensky. He also stressed that America needs to keep adequate reserves for its own use.
But just as he didn’t say yes, he also didn’t say no.
Trump also appeared warm to the idea of allowing Kiev access to weapons in exchange for Ukrainian-made drone technology developed by the country’s domestic defense sector — technology that has often allowed Ukrainian forces to punch well above their weight against Russia’s vast military machine.
With a hint of admiration in his voice, Trump indicated interest in such a weapons swap, saying that the Ukrainians “make a very good drone.”
As the question-and-answer session continued, the president still pressed his claim that Putin “wants to end” a war he started without provocation. Trump said he hoped his planned summit in Budapest would make any provision of Tomahawks to Kiev unnecessary.
But he also acknowledged the possibility that he was being played by the Russian leader, who, according to financial TimesThey spent a large part of their August meeting in Alaska having “a historic discussion”, which enraged Trump to such an extent that he raised his voice several times and ultimately cut the planned summit event short.
During this time, Independent It understands that Zelensky came to Washington to engage Trump with a map-laden presentation, showing the US leader how Tomahawks could be used to strike a devastating blow to the Russian war machine and Russian oil fields.
According to aides, the president likes maps. And the more time he spends with Zelensky, the more he comes to like him.
Zelensky probably won’t get his Tomahawks today. But gradually, he is winning Trump’s respect and making him feel like a trusted friend.
And if Trump feels like Putin is messing with him when they meet again in Budapest, there’s no telling what Zelensky might gain from that breach.