Zelensky leaves White Home unscathed as he buys extra time

[ad_1] Vitaly Shevchenko Russia editor, BBC Monitoring

Reporting fromat the White Home Myroslava Petsa BBC Ukrainian Service

Reporting fromat the White Home Watch: Key moments from Zelensky, Trump White Home talks

The optics couldn't have been extra completely different this time.

In contrast to the shockingly ill-tempered earlier assembly in February, US President Donald Trump and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky appeared decided to not look confrontational - regardless of their remaining variations.

Zelensky wore a collared swimsuit (though not of the classical selection), and Trump complimented his apparel. The Ukrainian president additionally repeatedly stated "thanks", which will need to have happy his host, too.

At his opening look within the Oval Workplace, Zelensky spoke little - or possibly he was not eager to, fearing that what he needed to say was completely different from what Trump needed to listen to.

Variations confirmed later, when the US and Ukrainian presidents appeared earlier than journalists along with European leaders.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron each stated a ceasefire in Ukraine needs to be the subsequent step, regardless that Trump had argued that it was not essential earlier than a extra everlasting resolution is discovered.

Zelensky remained conspicuously quiet on the difficulty.

<img sizes="(min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 1008px) 66vw, 96vw" srcset="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/240/cpsprodpb/83b7/live/d19aa570-7ca0-11f0-b7ee-e7946935aa7e.jpg.webp 240w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/320/cpsprodpb/83b7/live/d19aa570-7ca0-11f0-b7ee-e7946935aa7e.jpg.webp 320w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/83b7/live/d19aa570-7ca0-11f0-b7ee-e7946935aa7e.jpg.webp 480w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/640/cpsprodpb/83b7/live/d19aa570-7ca0-11f0-b7ee-e7946935aa7e.jpg.webp 640w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/800/cpsprodpb/83b7/live/d19aa570-7ca0-11f0-b7ee-e7946935aa7e.jpg.webp 800w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/cpsprodpb/83b7/live/d19aa570-7ca0-11f0-b7ee-e7946935aa7e.jpg.webp 1024w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1536/cpsprodpb/83b7/live/d19aa570-7ca0-11f0-b7ee-e7946935aa7e.jpg.webp 1536w" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/83b7/live/d19aa570-7ca0-11f0-b7ee-e7946935aa7e.jpg.webp" loading="eager" alt="Getty Images Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky meets with US President Donald Trump in the Oval Office at the White House." class="sc-d1200759-0 dvfjxj"/> Getty Photographs What we heard from the leaders means that their discussions behind closed doorways targeted on safety ensures for Ukraine and prospects for a gathering between Zelensky and Putin.

No particulars had been revealed about what ensures had been mentioned, or how being face-to-face in the identical room with Putin will assist finish the struggle.

However following the day of talks, Zelensky described safety ensures as a essential "start line for ending struggle".

At an earlier information convention outdoors the White Home, he stated safety ensures may embody a $90bn (£67bn) deal between Kyiv and Washington to amass US weapons, together with aviation programs, anti-missile programs and different weapons he declined to reveal.

Zelensky additionally stated the US would buy Ukrainian drones, which might assist enhance home manufacturing of the unmanned plane. Although no formal settlement has been reached, Zelensky stated a deal might be labored out over the subsequent 10 days.

The Ukranian chief, nevertheless, was extra keen to speak about his attainable assembly with Putin, telling reporters he was prepared to fulfill straight along with his Russian counterpart, and if Moscow agreed, Trump may be a part of the negotiations. Putin has to date resisted a direct assembly with Zelensky.

"Ukraine won't ever cease on the best way to peace," he advised reporters, including that no date had been set.

One concern the leaders appeared reluctant to convey up earlier than the media had been attainable territorial concessions by Ukraine.

Zelensky additionally talked about how he confirmed his US counterpart a map of Ukraine, stressing that Russia has managed to occupy lower than 1% of the Ukrainian territory within the final 1,000 days. This was information to the White Home, he stated. And it helped swing Trump's temper, apparently.

"I've been combating with what's on that map," Zelensky advised reporters, including that he pushed again on what the Oval Workplace map confirmed as Russian-captured territories.

"It is not attainable to say this a lot territory has been taken over this time. These factors are necessary."

The Ukrainian chief appeared largely upbeat about his newest White Home look, describing his assembly with Trump as "heat". His optimism, nevertheless, appeared deliberate as he sought to keep away from a repeat of his final Oval Workplace go to and persuade his American hosts to embrace the European place on ending the struggle.

However maybe the important thing consequence of the journey was that it helped Ukraine to purchase extra time. The decision that Trump had with Putin following his first assembly with the European leaders means that Russia has managed to do exactly the identical.

Regardless of widespread fears, no disaster has occurred on the summits in Alaska and Washington - a minimum of nothing from what has been made public.