Zelensky, Trump hold talks on NATO summit sidelines
President Volodymyr Zelensky met with U.S. President Donald Trump at the NATO summit in The Hague on June 25.
The meeting lasted approximately 50 minutes, according to Suspilne. In a post on X, Zelensky described the conversation as "long and substantive."
"We covered all the truly important issues," he wrote. "We discussed how to achieve a ceasefire and a real peace. We spoke about how to protect our people. We appreciate the attention and the readiness to help bring peace closer."
Zelensky said that he briefed Trump about the situation on the battlefield.
"Putin is definitely not winning," Ukraine's president said.
The two leaders also discussed the purchase of American air defense systems as well as the potential for co-production of drones.
"Ukraine is ready to buy this equipment and support American weapons manufacturers," Zelensky added.
Speaking at a briefing, Trump was asked what he would be discussing during the meeting with Zelensky.
"Obviously we'll be discussing his difficulties, he's got a little difficulty," the U.S. president replied without elaborating on what he meant.
Andriy Yermak, Zelensky's chief of staff, said that the presidents discussed the future of global security, ways to end Russia's all-out war, and defense cooperation between Kyiv and Washington.
Speaking at a press conference following the meeting, Trump said that it "couldn’t have been nicer."
"I think it’s a great time to end it (war). I’m going to speak to Vladimir Putin, see if we can get it ended," Trump said. "He (Zelensky) is fighting a brave battle, it's a tough battle."
The NATO summit convenes at a time when U.S. support for Kyiv is waning, and just a week after Russian President Vladimir Putin declared "all of Ukraine is ours."
This is the first meeting between the two leaders since April, when they spoke briefly on the sidelines of Pope Francis' funeral in Rome.
A planned discussion at the G7 summit earlier this month fell through after both leaders left the event early, Trump due to escalating tensions in the Middle East, and Zelensky in response to drone and missile attack on Kyiv.
Upon arriving in The Hague, Andriy Yermak, head of the Ukrainian presidential office, said on June 24 that he had held "substantive" talks with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio to prepare for the Zelensky-Trump meeting, including its structure and key topics.
Zelensky is also scheduled to meet with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen during the summit.
In a recent interview with Sky News, Zelensky expressed uncertainty about Trump's ties to Putin but said he believes Trump understands that Ukraine is a U.S. ally and that "the real existential enemy of America is Russia."
Anna Fratsyvir
