Zelensky leaves the White House unscathed because he buys more time

The optics could not have been more different this time.

Unlike the previous meeting in a shocking way in February, US President Donald Trump and the president of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky seemed determined not to look conflict – despite their remaining differences.

Zelensky wore a collar suit (but not classic variety), and Trump complimented his outfit. The Ukrainian president has also said “thank you” several times, which must also have liked his host.

When opening in the oval office, Zelensky spoke little – or perhaps he would not want to, fearing that what he has to say is different from what Trump wanted to hear.

The differences later showed when the American and Ukrainian presidents appeared before journalists with European leaders.

The German chancellor Friedrich Merz and the French president Emmanuel Macron both declared that a cease-fire in Ukraine should be the next step, even if Trump had argued that it was not necessary before a more permanent solution was found.

Zelensky remained visibly silent on the issue.

What we have heard of the leaders suggests that their closed discussions have focused on security guarantees for Ukraine and the meeting prospects between Zelensky and Putin.

No details have been revealed on the guarantees discussed, or how to face face in the same room with Putin will help end the war.

But after conference day, Zelensky described security guarantees as a “starting point necessary to finish the war”.

At a press conference prior to the outside of the White House, he said that security guarantees could include an agreement of $ 90 billion (67 billion pounds sterling) between kyiv and Washington to acquire American weapons, including aviation systems, anti-missile systems and other weapons that he refused to disclose.

Zelensky also said that the United States would buy Ukrainian drones, which would help stimulate the domestic production of the unanswered aircraft. Although no official agreement has been concluded, Zelensky said that an agreement could be concluded over the next 10 days.

The Ukrainian leader, however, was more willing to talk about his possible meeting with Putin, Tell journalists that he was ready to meet his Russian counterpart directly, and if Moscow agrees, Trump could join the negotiations. Putin has so far resisted a direct meeting with Zelensky.

“Ukraine will never stop on the path of peace,” he told journalists, adding that no date had been set.

A problem that the leaders seemed reluctant to evoke before the media were possible territorial concessions of Ukraine.

Zelensky also mentioned how he showed his American counterpart an Ukraine card, stressing that Russia has managed to occupy less than 1% of Ukrainian territory in the last 1000 days. It was news for the White House, he said. And that helped swing Trump’s mood, apparently.

“I am fighting with what is on this map,” Zelensky told journalists, adding that he has rejected what the oval card of the office showed like territories captured by Russia.

“It is not possible to say that a lot of territory has been taken over this period. These points are important.”

The Ukrainian leader seemed mainly optimistic about his last appearance in the White House, describing his meeting with Trump as “warm”. His optimism, however, seemed deliberate when he sought to avoid a rehearsal of his last visit to the oval office and to convince his American hosts to embrace the European position to end the war.

But maybe the The main results of the trip have helped Ukraine buy more time. The call that Trump had with Putin after his first meeting with European leaders suggests that Russia has managed to do in the same way.

Despite the generalized fears, no disaster took place during the summits in Alaska and Washington – at least nothing that was made public.

The status quo remains.