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Metro
17 hours ago
- Politics
- Metro
What could happen if Zelensky and Putin actually meet?
Peace talks between Russia and Ukraine have stalled, but there are hopes the two countries could soon sit down and discuss matters face to face. Yesterday's meeting between Volodymyr Zelensky and Donald Trump at the White House was hailed as making 'real progress'. But the elephant in the room is a potential faceoff between Vladimir Putin and Zelensky. The pair last met in person in 2019, speaking about how to stop fighting in eastern Ukraine, where Russian troops had been trying to take land since 2014. Putin and Zelensky met in Paris, but the meeting didn't lead to any long-term peace in the regions. The stakes have never been higher after Russia illegally invaded Ukraine in February 2022, sparking a war which has killed more than 70,000 Ukrainian civilians. If the meeting comes to fruition, body language expert Judi James said the interaction could play out like a long-awaited boxing match. Zelensky and Putin's last face-to-face meeting in 2019 showed two very different leaders from the ones we know today. Judi James told Metro: 'Zelensky was a fresh-faced, slim, youthful-looking man back then, in his suit and tie, and there was a series of body language rituals that made him look like the nervous and amenable junior at the table. 'Zelensky is now a changed man. He looks like a sturdy wartime leader now with his more muscular build and his warrior stance. His terrible spat with Vance and Trump showed he is no longer in a 'compliant youth' role. He was not intimidated by Trump, although this week showed he is able to play the game in terms of diplomacy.' Ian Garner, Assistant Professor at the Pilecki Institute in Warsaw, specialises in Russian war studies. He told Metro that anything is possible, but a potential meeting between Zelensky and Putin would face hurdles before ever coming to fruition. He said: 'The Europeans, in particular, would want to be present so that they can keep pushing forward the idea that Russia is the aggressor in the war and that Russia has to make concessions, as well as Ukraine.' James said if Putin and Zelensky do meet in the coming months, they would have 'invisible armies of war dead behind them'. She explained: 'From the 'ring walk' to the face-to-face poses and the handshake that will be a symbolic 'touching of the gloves', this meeting is therefore likely to have a similar body language format as a boxing match, although hopefully with no prolonged stare-off.' But the man who has the most influence in the negotiations – Donald Trump – will also likely want to be at the centre of attention in the discussions, Garner adds. Keir Giles, a Russia expert at Chatham House, told Metro: 'Speculation about the possibility of the two meeting is just another example of how media reporting and the statements of European leaders are very different from expert assessments of what is actually realistic. 'Nobody who has been listening to Putin and watching the course of the war anticipates that a meeting between him and Zelensky is realistic unless pressure is brought by Trump on Putin in a manner that has not been seen to date.' If the meeting happens, Giles thinks it will take place at the White House, according to Trump's claims. 'But Putin has been reluctant to meet Zelensky and legitimise his presidency. However, if it were to happen, then Putin would find Zelensky a much tougher customer than Trump. 'Putin would find that he is unable to intimidate Zelensky in the same way that he has other leaders. And he has limited negotiating space to try to get his way with Zelensky because his armed forces have already spent years trying to destroy Ukraine and failing.' The conversation between Putin and Zelensky would be interesting to watch, Garner said, mainly because Putin is not a confrontational leader. 'He will stick to his script. Even if the script bears no relationship with reality, he's very level-headed, and he's very cold. When he speaks in Russian, he speaks with this incredibly even pace. That's how he engages with world leaders; that's how he's always done his negotiations,' he said. Zelensky, however, is a bit more of a 'chameleon'. Garner explained: 'He's a performer in the sense that he usually tries to shift the way he behaves based on what his audience wants most. I do think he made a mistake in the Oval Office back in February with that big blow-up confrontation, and he knows that he made that mistake. 'Look at the way that he behaved with Trump yesterday. During a future meeting with Putin, Zelensky would be very well prepared. He will have his script. But I wouldn't be surprised to see him throw a couple of jabs at Putin.' Judi James said: 'One of the most important factors of this meeting will be the staging and the choreography. Putin needs to not look like a superior senior as he did in Paris. 'Someone, possibly Trump, needs to be an immaculate and inclusive host. Every gesture from the host needs to be impartial. Last time they had a round table, but seemed to play it by ear from there, but this meeting will need a top-level psychologist to apply some forensic analysis of layout, seating, positioning of furniture and the photographers. 'Last time Zelensky sat with his back to the press and had to turn for an unserious-looking photo. Given the history of Putin and Zelensky, though, plus Putin's skills at subtle body language power-play, someone needs to be able to spot the subtlest of signals and cope with tensions and tricks before they destroy any hair-fine balance.' Besides the obvious – a ceasefire – land is the main focus of chats between Russia and Ukraine. Garner explains: 'We know what Putin wants, and we know what Putin won't give up, and that's the land. And I'd be astonished if he makes any really meaningful security guarantees to Ukraine or permits America to make meaningful security guarantees to Ukraine, but Zelensky might be a little bit more flexible. More Trending 'The reason is that Zelensky, unlike Putin, is not a dictator. He's a democratic leader, and what he brings to the negotiating table will be closer to what at least a broad section of the Ukrainian population wants.' A potential ceasefire, which could involve security guarantees from Western powers, such as NATO, will be unlikely, Garner says. 'It's hard to see Putin agreeing to anything that would involve any foreign troops in Ukraine. The more weapons, the less likely that Putin will agree to it.' Giles agrees: 'We've already seen that even though the objectives of the two sides are completely incompatible and there's no room for agreement, there are other aspects of the war where it is valuable to have face-to-face talks, such as, for example, prisoner exchanges.' Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Five key takeaways from Zelensky's crunch talks with Donald Trump at the White House MORE: Fact check: Donald Trump boasts he's ended 'six wars in six months' but has he? MORE: Russian troops troll Zelensky by flying US flag on mission into Ukraine
Metro
27-06-2025
- Politics
- Metro
Trump and his defence boss have created a ‘cult of personality'
US strikes on Iran have dominated headlines this week, in a fast-moving news story that grew stranger by the minute. Trump even shouted: 'They don't know what the f*** they're doing'. Today, Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth gave a speech at the Pentagon that came across as more of a condescending lecture, slamming the press for their coverage of the attacks on nuclear sites at Fordow, Natanz and Esfahan. Through gritted teeth, Hegseth told reporters: 'The assessment is that we significantly damaged the nuclear program, setting it back by years, I repeat, years. What the United States did was historic.' Furrowing his brow, the defence chief added: 'But because you – and I mean specifically you, the press – because you cheer against Trump so hard… You want him not to be successful so badly that you have to cheer against the efficacy of these strikes. 'You hope maybe they weren't effective, the way the Trump administration has represented them isn't true, so you make half-truths, spin leaked information into every way you can to try to cause doubt and manipulate the public mind.' Hegseth's remarks were one of the most brutal attacks on the press from a senior official in Trump's second term so far. But the most interesting part isn't the words, an expert has said — it's the focus of their wrath. Ian Garner, historian and propaganda analyst at the Pilecki Institute in Warsaw, told Metro it's telling to see Trump and Hegseth go on the attack, not against Iran, but against the media. 'This has been coming back since his first presidential run. To me, it's extremely authoritarian,' he said. 'The authoritarian approach is to say that the real enemy, the much more frightening enemy, is the enemy within.' For Hegseth and Trump, that 'enemy' is the press, which they claim has undermined a military mission simply by reporting on evidence coming out of the Pentagon. Media outlets that reported on new intelligence from the US suggesting the attacks in Iran did not destroy the nuclear facilities were publicly humiliated by Trump. For the President and his Defence Secretary, who hailed them as 'one of the most successful military strikes in history', this was a betrayal. @metrouk The White House has released a video of Donald Trump with the title 'Daddy's Home'. The nickname comes after Nato's secretary general Mark Rutte has hailed Donald Trump as 'Daddy' for dropping the F-bomb live on TV over alleged ceasefire violations in Israel's war with Iran. Former Dutch PM Mark Rutte praised the US president, saying: 'Sometimes daddy has to use strong words.' #donaldtrump #daddy #worldnews #usnews ♬ Hey Daddy (Daddy's Home) – Usher But Mr Garner points out: 'To suggest the media is somehow undermining a military mission by reporting on evidence, can't possibly affect the reality of that mission. 'The way Trump and Hegseth have interacted with the public and media tells us is something much more important: that this conflict is much more about spectacle and performance and giving domestic audiences a show of strength from the White House and the Pentagon than achieving any particular strategic target.' The heart of this performance? Trump himself. A growing number of Americans are seeing him as the true commander-in-chief, Mr Garner argues. @metrouk US strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities did not destroy the Iranian nuclear programme and have likely only set it back by months, according to an intelligence assessment. The White House says the assessment is 'flat-out wrong' and is 'a clear attempt to demean' President Trump. #us #donaldtrump #iran #nuclear 'The idea here is that power seems to emanate from this one political figure, from Donald Trump himself, which is eerily reminiscent of cults of personality we've seen elsewhere. 'And yet, the spectacle and the performance are delivered in such an obvious way that it is really clear to any intelligent observer that this is truly a cult of personality.' The media spectable unfolded after the US unleashed more than a dozen bombs on t wo Iranian nuclear facilities, the Fordow Fuel Enrichment plant and the Natanz Enrichment Complex. But the revelation that the US may not have fully eliminated the centrifuges of the sites and highly enriched uranium is quickly becoming an issue for Trump and his 'cult of personality' – as well as the media reporting on it. But it's not Trump's first fight with the media. He became famous in his first campaign for slamming what he called the 'fake news media' for spreading lies. In 2017, it was found that one in four of Trump's tweets at the time contained fake news. check our news page.
Metro
26-06-2025
- Politics
- Metro
Trump and his defence boss have created a 'cult of personality'
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video US strikes on Iran have dominated headlines this week, in a fast-moving news story that grew stranger by the minute. Trump even shouted: 'They don't know what the f*** they're doing'. Today, Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth gave a speech at the Pentagon that came across as more of a condescending lecture, slamming the press for their coverage of the attacks on nuclear sites at Fordow, Natanz and Esfahan. Through gritted teeth, Hegseth told reporters: 'The assessment is that we significantly damaged the nuclear program, setting it back by years, I repeat, years. What the United States did was historic.' Furrowing his brow, the defence chief added: 'But because you – and I mean specifically you, the press – because you cheer against Trump so hard… You want him not to be successful so badly that you have to cheer against the efficacy of these strikes. 'You hope maybe they weren't effective, the way the Trump administration has represented them isn't true, so you make half-truths, spin leaked information into every way you can to try to cause doubt and manipulate the public mind.' Hegseth's remarks were one of the most brutal attacks on the press from a senior official in Trump's second term so far. But the most interesting part isn't the words, an expert has said — it's the focus of their wrath. Ian Garner, historian and propaganda analyst at the Pilecki Institute in Warsaw, told Metro it's telling to see Trump and Hegseth go on the attack, not against Iran, but against the media. 'This has been coming back since his first presidential run. To me, it's extremely authoritarian,' he said. 'The authoritarian approach is to say that the real enemy, the much more frightening enemy, is the enemy within.' For Hegseth and Trump, that 'enemy' is the press, which they claim has undermined a military mission simply by reporting on evidence coming out of the Pentagon. Media outlets that reported on new intelligence from the US suggesting the attacks in Iran did not destroy the nuclear facilities were publicly humiliated by Trump. For the President and his Defence Secretary, who hailed them as 'one of the most successful military strikes in history', this was a betrayal. @metrouk The White House has released a video of Donald Trump with the title 'Daddy's Home'. The nickname comes after Nato's secretary general Mark Rutte has hailed Donald Trump as 'Daddy' for dropping the F-bomb live on TV over alleged ceasefire violations in Israel's war with Iran. Former Dutch PM Mark Rutte praised the US president, saying: 'Sometimes daddy has to use strong words.' #donaldtrump #daddy #worldnews #usnews ♬ Hey Daddy (Daddy's Home) – Usher But Mr Garner points out: 'To suggest the media is somehow undermining a military mission by reporting on evidence, can't possibly affect the reality of that mission. 'The way Trump and Hegseth have interacted with the public and media tells us is something much more important: that this conflict is much more about spectacle and performance and giving domestic audiences a show of strength from the White House and the Pentagon than achieving any particular strategic target.' The heart of this performance? Trump himself. A growing number of Americans are seeing him as the true commander-in-chief, Mr Garner argues. 'The idea here is that power seems to emanate from this one political figure, from Donald Trump himself, which is eerily reminiscent of cults of personality we've seen elsewhere. 'And yet, the spectacle and the performance are delivered in such an obvious way that it is really clear to any intelligent observer that this is truly a cult of personality.' More Trending The media spectable unfolded after the US unleashed more than a dozen bombs on two Iranian nuclear facilities, the Fordow Fuel Enrichment plant and the Natanz Enrichment Complex. But the revelation that the US may not have fully eliminated the centrifuges of the sites and highly enriched uranium is quickly becoming an issue for Trump and his 'cult of personality' – as well as the media reporting on it. But it's not Trump's first fight with the media. He became famous in his first campaign for slamming what he called the 'fake news media' for spreading lies. In 2017, it was found that one in four of Trump's tweets at the time contained fake news. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Trump's administration doubles down on Iran attacks and says they were '15 years in the making' MORE: Six places which could be safe if World War Three erupts – including two in UK MORE: How close was Iran to making a nuclear bomb and what's really going on with Israel's nuclear program?
Yahoo
29-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
'You can't trust Russians' — Europe's Ukraine peacekeeping plans face one obvious hurdle
Strong statements made after a summit of European leaders in Paris on March 27 demonstrated two things — France and the U.K. are determined to send peacekeepers to Ukraine, but the plans are currently hostage to the whims of the Kremlin. "You cannot trust the Russians any further than you can throw them today, and that really is going to be the blockage in the negotiation process for all parties," Dr. Ian Garner, assistant professor in totalitarian studies at Poland's Pilecki Institute, told the Kyiv Independent. In the face of a retreating U.S., several European countries have moved forward with plans to send troops to Ukraine as part of a "reassurance force" in case of the ceasefire with Russia, French President Emmanuel Macron announced at the Paris summit. Any potential force deployed would be "a force designed to deter, in order to send that message to (Russian President Vladimir) Putin that this is a deal that is going to be defended," U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer added. But at the same time, Starmer acknowledged the obvious impediment to what is needed in order to put the plan into action — an actual peace deal. "We agreed here in Paris today that it's clear the Russians are filibustering. They are playing games, and they're playing for time," he said. "It is a classic from the Putin playbook, but we can't let them drag this out while they continue prosecuting their illegal invasion." French and British military planners will head to Ukraine to start coordinating with the country's Armed Forces on how this 'reassurance force' could be deployed but a major hurdle will be planning such an operation whilst not knowing what kind of peace they will be there to enforce. Separate negotiations with the U.S. have so far not yielded a clear plan for peace. Despite Ukraine's endorsement of a U.S. plan for a full 30-day ceasefire, Russia has so far refused, instead added conditions, including the lifting sanctions, for its participation, while only agreeing to partial ceasefires on energy infrastructure and the use of force in the Black Sea. At the summit in Paris, President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Russia's demands shows that "Russia does not seek real peace today and is dragging out the war," urging Ukraine's European partners to ramp up the pressure on the Kremlin. His view was echoed by Macron, who said that while Kyiv has "taken the risk of peace," Moscow's demands in negotiations showed a "desire for war." German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, whose approach to supporting Ukraine has drawn criticism in the past, said "we have seen how the negotiations have gone so far, and Russia has added new demands after each round." "This clearly demonstrates that Russia is currently not interested in real peace," he added. Garner said the issue is hardly new given Russia's aggression against Ukraine dates back to 2014. "The problem… is on the Russian side. I don't see much enthusiasm coming from the Kremlin for signing anything more than a paper thin ceasefire that either would or could lead back to war or an attempt to exert control over Ukraine through non-military means," he added. The risk of a full ceasefire being imposed with conditions favorable to Russia remains a real concern among Europe's leaders, particularly with a White House that appears to favor rapid results over a just and lasting peace for Ukraine. "A ceasefire could be possible as it might provide Putin an ability to recuperate Russia's losses and wait and see which way the 'negotiations' might go," Gabrielius Landsbergis, Lithuania's former foreign minister, told the Kyiv Independent. Landsbergis added that Putin sees a ceasefire as possible leverage "to rebuild his stance in the world." "Maybe some sanctions will be removed or some other benefits could come his way," he added. European leaders have so far ruled out any sanctions relief, or promise of sanctions relief, but the U.S. notably has not. What is beyond doubt is that the biggest deciding factor in how peace will be shaped in Ukraine will be how the U.S. handles the ongoing negotiations. Read also: As Ukraine, Russia agree to ceasefire at sea, Moscow's battered Black Sea Fleet is set to get a reprieve Richard Haas, former director of policy planning at the U.S. State Department, told the Kyiv Independent that "a full ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia is a realistic prospect if the United States demonstrates its willingness to provide meaningful long-term military and intelligence support to Ukraine for its defense." "Such support is essential if Putin is to understand that time is not on his or Russia's side," he added. Haas said that any deal cannot be based on trusting Moscow's intentions. "It must be built on strength so that Putin determines, however reluctantly, that continued war will not achieve Russia's objectives in Ukraine and could weaken Russia in the process." For that, the former top diplomat said Europe will need to step up. "Europe's role becomes far more important if the United States chooses to reduce or end its support of Ukraine," he said. Many have doubted the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump's support of Ukraine, as well as the competence of presidential appointees, particularly after top Trump officials, including his vice president, national security advisor and defense secretary discussed highly sensitive military plans on a group chat where a journalist has inadvertently been added. "Donald Trump's American negotiating party seems to me to be inexperienced and credulous in the way they are dealing with the Kremlin," Garner said. "The Putin regime is spinning different stories to different parties. It's telling its public one thing and the Western public another. It is continually attacking and threatening Ukraine. There is no sign that the state is stepping back from its attacks." While the Kremlin has agreed to partial ceasefires on energy infrastructure and the use of force in the Black Sea, its devastating bombing of Ukraine's cities continues. In the latest instance, a Russian drone attack on March 28 killed four people and injured at least 24 in the city of Dnipro, sparking a large fire at a hotel and restaurant complex as well as 11 homes. Despite Ukraine's willingness to sign up to a full ceasefire, and Russia's refusal and ongoing attacks against civilians, Landsbergis said things are still headed in Moscow's favor. "It all depends on if the U.S. is prepared to give Putin everything he asks for and so far that seems to be the case," he said. There is also the issue of European unity, which will be crucial to any European-led peacekeeping force. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has expressed skepticism about sending European troops to Ukraine, warning that Moscow could see this as a provocation. Garner warned that only a cohesive European force could work as a real deterrent against further Russian aggression. "Ukraine's biggest supporter in Europe in terms of size, Poland, has been pretty dubious about actually putting Polish troops on the ground," he said. "If Poland were to change its mind, I think others might follow but without Poland, I don't think it's realistic." Macron has said that plans for Europe's reassurance force for Ukraine would take shape in the next "three to four weeks," but the biggest challenge remains — whatever shape it takes, it is still aiming at a moving target as U.S.-led peace negotiations continue to falter. Read also: As Ukraine's fate hangs in the balance, 'Soviet' command culture damages war effort We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. 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