WSJ assessed who benefits most from the conflict between Zelensky and Trump.
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The communication between Trump and Zelensky threatens Ukraine's support and the peaceful resolution of the conflict with Russia
The meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, which was supposed to demonstrate unity, unexpectedly ended in a public conflict. This situation raises the threat to U.S. support for Ukraine and the prospects for a peaceful resolution of the war with Russia.
'No one enjoys this more than Putin,' said Alina Polyakova, president of the Center for European Policy Analysis.
Analysts believe that Trump's public criticism of Zelensky and his ally Vance may be an attempt to 'soften' the Ukrainian leader ahead of negotiations. But it could benefit Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The failure of the meeting could seriously affect the formation of a joint negotiation strategy between the U.S. and European allies. Rachel Rizzo, a fellow at the Atlantic Council, believes that Zelensky will have to start communication from scratch.
'If nothing fundamentally changes in the coming days, Zelensky will not only be pushed to the background in terms of potential talks with Trump and Putin, he will be completely erased,' Rizzo said.
Trump supporters are urging Zelensky to take action to rectify the situation. 'He must either resign and send someone with whom we can do business, or he must change,' said Senator Lindsey Graham.
Zelensky needs to take steps to restore Trump's trust and not lose U.S. support, as well as successfully resolve the conflict with Russia. However, there are currently doubts about the success of these efforts.
European officials are also disappointed with the results of the meeting and hope to cooperate with Trump in shaping a joint strategy to counter Putin. However, there are doubts that Trump supports their position on resolving the Ukrainian conflict.
Jeremy Shapiro, director of programs at the European Council on Foreign Relations, believes Trump may not fulfill his promises.
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