A United Front?

New York Times

2 days ago

President Trump has been known to parrot the positions of the last person he's heard. Which might explain why European leaders rushed to the White House yesterday. They were loath to let Vladimir Putin's message during Friday's Alaska summit with Trump go unanswered.
So presidents and prime ministers disrupted summer holidays and scrambled to Washington on less than 24 hours' notice from, among other places, an island off the French Riviera. Our London bureau chief, Mark Landler, called it 'diplomatic FOMO.' They came to support Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelensky. One by one, they lavished Trump with the praise and gratitude that moves him. (They've learned by now, that's what works.) And they repeated their priorities: security guarantees and cease-fire, cease-fire and security guarantees.
Trump was a gracious host, complimenting the German chancellor's tan and the Finnish president's youthful looks. He demurred on a cease-fire, saying several times that he'd ended six wars around the world this year without one. He seemed to commit to security guarantees, though it's not clear what they would look like. He all but promised a 'trilat' — a three-way meeting — among himself, Putin and Zelensky within a week or two.
Here's a look at yesterday's talks, the prospects for a peace deal and what's at stake.
Presidential pivots. The tone of Trump's appearance with Zelensky was a 180-degree shift from their disastrous Oval Office session six months ago. Having been accused of disrespect last time, the Ukrainian leader traded his fatigues for a black jacket, a button-down and slacks. Having been chastised for ingratitude, Zelensky publicly thanked Trump at least 10 times. Trump, in turn, was downright friendly.
Land concessions? Putin says he won't withdraw from Ukraine unless Russia gets the Donbas, an industrial region he has claimed since 2014. It's the focus of Russia's summer offensive. But at least 200,000 civilians live in the fraction still under Ukrainian control. And the Ukrainian Constitution bars Zelensky from giving up territory without a public referendum.
Still, it's clear the men discussed the idea, writes David Sanger, a White House correspondent who covered the Alaska summit. 'Thank you for the map, by the way,' Zelensky said in front of the cameras. Not said was who had drawn the map or what, exactly, it showed. (This piece helpfully explains Putin's fascination with the Donbas.)
Protection from Russia. What does Ukraine need to feel safe? 'Everything,' Zelensky said. He ticked off weapons, troops, training and intelligence. Trump ducked questions about whether American troops might join a peacekeeping force. But after months of berating his predecessor for spending billions to help Ukraine defend itself, Trump now suggests that the U.S. would indeed help protect the country from future invasions. Read more about how security guarantees could work.
Seated around a table with cameras whirring, several of the European leaders invoked as a model NATO's Article 5 — which says that an attack on any member is considered an attack on all members. Trump agreed that the provision for Ukraine could be 'NATO-like.' The NATO chief, a Trump fan and one of his eight guests yesterday, called this seeming change of heart 'a really big deal.'
Fighting continues. Even as Zelensky arrived in Washington, Russia was still firing on Ukraine. Its strikes yesterday killed at least 14 people, including two children. But Trump was noncommittal as several of his European counterparts said that hostilities must stop immediately. 'I don't think you need a cease-fire,' Trump said, noting that his negotiations to end the decades-long conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo, among others, had taken place without one. 'I know that it might be good to have. But I can also understand, strategically, why one country or the other wouldn't want it.'
Later, he said that 'all of us would obviously prefer an immediate cease-fire,' but that Putin and Zelensky would have to work it out themselves. 'As of this moment, it's not happening.'
Next steps. Trump says he'll soon bring the Ukrainian and Russian presidents together. 'If you like, I'll go to that meeting,' Trump told Zelensky. ('Ukraine will be happy if you participate,' Zelensky responded.) It would be the first face-to-face for the adversaries since 2019, three years before Putin invaded Ukraine. 'If we have a trilat,' Trump said, 'there's a good chance of maybe ending it.'
While Zelensky and the Europeans were still at the White House, Trump called Putin to fill him in on the day's talks. He said they'd talk again after the European leaders left. If he did, the Russian leader would again be the last person he heard on the subject.
For more
The most clicked article in The Morning yesterday was about what to expect from the talks. Read about what actually happened: Here are five takeaways.
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