On the 16th, U.S. President Trump and Ukrainian President Zelensky confirmed separately that they would meet in Washington, D.C. on the 18th.
In February this year, Zelensky had a fierce argument with Trump and U.S. Vice President Pence during his visit to the United States and left unhappily.
Will the meeting on the 18th repeat the last embarrassing scene? What is Zelensky’s attitude on key issues such as territory?
Merz: Zelensky will not be “humiliated” again
Trump said on the 16th that Zelensky will go to the Oval Office of the White House on the afternoon of the 18th (Eastern Time). “If everything goes well, we will arrange a (tripartite) meeting with President Putin (of Russia) next.”
Earlier that day, Zelensky said he had a “long and substantial” call with Trump and would be invited to meet with Trump in Washington on the 18th to discuss “all the details” of ending the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Ukraine supports the proposal to hold a trilateral meeting between Ukraine, the United States, and Russia.
On February 28th, U.S. President Trump welcomed Ukrainian President Zelensky (right) at the White House in Washington. Photo by Hu Yousong of Xinhua News Agency
On the same day, German Chancellor Merz told the media that he believed that Zelensky’s visit to the White House would not result in a scene of “humiliation” as last time. When European leaders meet with Zelensky on the 17th, they will provide him with “some good advice.”
According to Germany’s “Bild” newspaper, Germany, Britain, and France will decide on the 17th whether and at what level to send representatives to attend the “Trump-Zelensky Meeting” on the 18th.
In February this year, during their meeting at the White House, Trump, Pence, and Zelensky had a fierce argument in front of the media, and Zelensky left early. Both Trump and Pence claimed that Zelensky was “disrespectful” to the United States.
Media: Putin sets conditions for ceasefire
According to a report by Financial Times on the 16th, Russian President Putin told Trump during their meeting in Alaska on the 15th that he could relax some territorial claims in exchange for Donetsk region.
Financial Times, citing four people who were directly informed of the meeting, reported that Putin demanded that Ukraine withdraw its troops from the eastern region of Donetsk as a condition for Russia to end the conflict.
At about 11:20 am on August 15th local time, U.S. President Trump (third from right) and Russian President Putin (fourth from left) officially began their meeting at the Elmendorf-Richardson Joint Military Base in Anchorage, Alaska, in the United States.
Xinhua News Agency/US Associated Press
Reportedly, Putin stated that if his core demands are met, he can freeze the rest of the front line (actions). In exchange for Donetsk, Putin said he would freeze the front lines in the regions of Kherson and Zaporoizhia.
Meanwhile, Reuters, citing informed sources, reported that Zelensky has rejected the aforementioned demands. The report said that Ukraine sees Donetsk as a “fortress city” and a fortress to resist further Russian attacks.
On the 15th, Zelensky posted on social media that Ukrainian forces are blocking Russian troops in the Pokrovsk region in the Donetsk area, and the 79th and 82nd Air Assault Brigades have achieved effective results in Dobropolye. Ukraine will strengthen its forces in the Donetsk region to争取a more favorable negotiating position for Ukraine.
During the “Putin-Trump Meeting,” the Russia-Ukraine war continued
As Russian and U.S. leaders met in Alaska,
The front-line war between Russia and Ukraine has not stopped
On August 16th, the Ukrainian Air Force stated that Russia launched a ballistic missile and 85 attacking drones towards Ukraine from the evening of the 15th to the early morning of the 16th.
The Ukrainian Air Force issued a statement on social media claiming that Russian forces attacked front-line areas such as Sumy, Donetsk, Chernigiv, and Dnipropetrovsk. Ukrainian air defense systems shot down 61 drones.
In addition, according to a statement released by the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces on August 16th, there were 139 ground clashes between Ukraine and Russia in the past 24 hours.
On August 13th, in the frontline area of Sumy, Ukraine, Ukrainian soldiers covered their self-propelled artillery with camouflage. Photo by Peter Drucker for Xinhua News Agency.
The Russian Defense Ministry stated on August 16th that Russian forces have taken control of two towns in eastern Ukraine, killing 1,020 Ukrainian soldiers and shooting down 169 drones.
According to the Russian Defense Ministry’s statement, the two towns under Russian control are located in the Dnipropetrovsk and Donetsk regions respectively.
The statement also said that Russian forces launched operations against Ukrainian positions in Donetsk, Sumy, and Kharkiv, destroying dozens of war vehicles and ammunition depots, and causing damage to a military airport, some production facilities, and drone depots.