President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s goal in his meeting with Donald Trump is to establish “a peace process without pressure on the country” regarding Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, a Ukrainian official close to the president told the Financial Times.
According to the official, the Ukrainian president is prepared to accept an “acceptable compromise” along the current front line — one the Ukrainian public could support.
Former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine William Taylor said Zelenskyy would do well to tell Trump “calmly but clearly” that Ukraine “will continue to defend itself against Russian aggression.”
“Thank President Trump for supporting strong security guarantees for Ukraine under a coalition of the willing. Express hope for continued U.S. support, but make it clear that Ukraine will keep fighting. It has no other choice,” he said.
Several current and former U.S. and Ukrainian officials voiced skepticism about the meeting, warning that Zelenskyy may struggle to shift the dynamic in Kyiv’s favor, the FT reported.
Officials also said Zelenskyy must appeal to Trump’s peace-making ambitions to prevent the U.S. president from “selling out” Ukraine. They suggested the Ukrainian president could argue that without American security guarantees — and without holding the remaining fortified Ukrainian positions in Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts — Russian dictator Vladimir Putin may invade again, endangering the April agreement between the U.S. and Ukraine on critical mineral extraction.
A senior Ukrainian security official told the paper that any settlement must not reward Russia’s aggression, and “any agreement must be worth the paper it’s printed on.”
“Deals only work when they’re backed by real power — like NATO’s power. And with Russia, it all comes down to force,” he said.
The talks between Trump and Zelenskyy are set to begin at 8 p.m. Kyiv time on Aug. 18. The Ukrainian president has already arrived in Washington.
