Donald Trump meeting Vladimir Putin is Ukraine’s worst nightmare

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/05/16/trump-meeting-putin-ukraine-worst-nightmare-war-analysis/

by TheTelegraph

2 comments

  1. ***From The Telegraph:***

    Vladimir Putin seems to be on the cusp of getting what he has always wanted.

    European leaders had hoped the Russian president’s failure to attend [peace talks with Ukraine in Istanbul](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/05/16/russia-ukraine-peace-talks-zelensky-putin-war-latest-news/) – the very negotiations that he himself had demanded in lieu of a ceasefire – would finally cause Donald Trump’s patience to snap.

    Far from it. Instead of signalling his desire to [join Europe in imposing far tougher sanctions](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/2025/05/13/trump-must-back-eu-sanctions-on-russia-us-europe-ukraine/) on Moscow, the US president has chosen to reward his Russian counterpart with the one-on-one meeting he has desired for so long.

    “Nothing’s going to happen until Putin and I get together,” [Mr Trump said](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/05/15/putin-disrespected-trump-by-snubbing-peace-talks-zelensky/), thereby effectively scotching the talks in Istanbul before they had even begun.

    In Putin’s eyes, face-to-face talks with the US president – a meeting to which [Volodymyr Zelensky](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/05/13/russia-ukraine-ceasefire-zelensky-putin-war-latest-news/), the Ukrainian president, would not be invited – would cement Russia’s great power status. It would recall the superpower summits of the Cold War when Moscow and Washington would meet as equals to discuss the fate of the planet.

    It is also the outcome Ukrainian officials most lose sleep over. At such a meeting, Putin would have Mr Trump’s undivided attention with no go-between to plead their cause.

    **Read more:** [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/05/16/trump-meeting-putin-ukraine-worst-nightmare-war-analysis/](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/05/16/trump-meeting-putin-ukraine-worst-nightmare-war-analysis/)

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