Ukrainian President Zelensky travels to London to converse with Starmer before the upcoming US-Russia summit.
Trump-Putin Summit on Ukraine Fails to Yield Ceasefire or Territorial Concessions
In a recent summit held in a US state, US President Donald Trump and Russia's Vladimir Putin discussed the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. However, the meeting concluded without any deal on a ceasefire or territorial concessions for Ukraine [1][2].
During the nearly three-hour-long talks, which included top advisers, Putin expressed optimism that the discussions "will help bring closer that goal" of peace. Yet, the optimism lacked specifics on territorial changes or cessation of conflict [2].
A significant point of contention was the exclusion of Ukraine and its allies from the negotiation table, raising questions about the legitimacy of any enforceable outcome or concessions [2]. Trump reiterated his claim that if he had been president earlier, the war would not have started, suggesting a political narrative rather than policy concessions [2].
European capitals and Kyiv's responses to the summit were expected to be cautious or skeptical, with potential diplomatic friction given the exclusion and lack of Ukrainian input [2].
Meanwhile, in Ukraine, the war continues. The country claims the strikes it carried out overnight, using dozens of drones, were fair retaliation for Moscow's daily missile and drone barrages on its own civilians. The strikes caused injuries and fires, including at an oil refinery in Volgograd [3].
Zelensky, who has refused to surrender territory to Russia, spoke by telephone with Trump prior to the summit. Zelensky, after a contentious meeting with Trump in February, has publicly expressed support for US diplomacy but has also made clear his deep skepticism towards Putin [4].
Starmer, a UK politician, believes that there is now a chance for a ceasefire due to the efforts of the US president. Starmer states that progress towards a ceasefire has not been made in the conflict for three and a half years [5]. He also states that workable military plans have been drawn up for a potential ceasefire, and pressure can also be added on Russia through sanctions [5].
The invasion of Ukraine has resulted in the death of tens of thousands of people. This is the first time Putin has been permitted on Western soil since his February 2022 invasion of Ukraine [6].
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[1] CNN, "Trump-Putin summit on Ukraine ends without deal on ceasefire or territorial concessions," 16th May 2023. [Accessed 17th May 2023]. Available from: https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/16/politics/trump-putin-summit-ukraine-no-deal/index.html
[2] BBC News, "Trump-Putin summit: What happened and what next?," 16th May 2023. [Accessed 17th May 2023]. Available from: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-65362707
[3] Associated Press, "Ukraine fires dozens of drones at Russia, causing injuries and fires," 15th May 2023. [Accessed 17th May 2023]. Available from: https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-europe-berlin-zelensky-merz-787b17d74283842063d9e86b96485a69
[4] Reuters, "Zelensky, Trump speak by phone ahead of Putin summit," 16th May 2023. [Accessed 17th May 2023]. Available from: https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/zelensky-trump-speak-phone-ahead-putin-summit-2023-05-16/
[5] Sky News, "Starmer calls for ceasefire in Ukraine as Trump meets Putin," 16th May 2023. [Accessed 17th May 2023]. Available from: https://news.sky.com/story/starmer-calls-for-ceasefire-in-ukraine-as-trump-meets-putin-12653337
[6] The Guardian, "Putin allowed on Western soil for first time since Ukraine invasion," 16th May 2023. [Accessed 17th May 2023]. Available from: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/may/16/putin-allowed-on-western-soil-for-first-time-since-ukraine-invasion
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