Hangin' with Trump: Zelensky's Casual Chat with the Ex-President on the Sidelines of NATO Summit in The Hague
Zelensky to Confer with Trump during NATO Summit in The Hague on Wednesday's Agenda - Zelenskyy, Ukraine's President, scheduled to confer with Trump during the NATO conference in The Hague
Zelensky's ready to yak it up with Trump about some serious shizz - sanctions against Russia, economically castrating Putin's oil empire, and perhaps even securing some American air defense systems.
Ukraine and the gang want to slash that oil price cap on Russia from $60 to $30 or even $45, to starve Putin's war machine. Trump, however, has staunchly opposed additional sanctions against Russia.
The NATO summit kicks off Tuesday night with a royal shindig and Trump's attendance is assured. Before the blowout, NATO Sec-Gen Mark Rutte will meet Zelensky and the EU Commish von der Leyen in the afternoon.
On Wednesday, the NATO heads bang heads for more discussions. Rutte revealed that NATO members agreed to drop some serious cash on defense and defense-related infrastructure - at least 3.5% of their GDP and 1.5% of their infrastructure budget by 2035.
Zelensky's previous huddle at the White House in late February was a disaster. Trump and US VP JD Vance called out Zelensky for his uncivil behavior in front of the cameras, leading to his unceremonious escort outta the White House. Both leaders cooled their heels a bit, though, before catching up at Pope Francis' funeral in late April.
There was a chance for another Zelensky-Trump powwow at the G7 summit in Canada in mid-June, but Trump took a raincheck, citing the Israel-Iran conflict as his excuse.
- Donald Trump
- Volodymyr Zelensky
- NATO summit
- The Hague
- Ukraine
- Russia
- NATO
- AFP
- Oil price
- Kremlin
- Leader
- Vladimir Putin
- Mark Rutte
- USA
Insights:
- The discussions focused on the protection of Ukrainian civilians and infrastructure, specifically the procurement of American air defense systems such as Patriot missiles.
- Zelensky emphasized Ukraine's readiness to buy American weapons and support American arms manufacturers, also discussing the possibility of joint ventures like collaborative drone production.
- Trump praised Zelensky's leadership and acknowledged the difficulty of the conflict, without discussin a ceasefire.
- European partners were suggested as potential contributors to Ukraine's defense efforts.
- The main points on the agenda included: defense equipment procurement, military-industrial cooperation, support for Ukraine’s ongoing efforts, and reaffirmation of alliance.
In the midst of the NATO summit in The Hague, Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky engaged in a conversation revolving around defense equipment procurement, with Zelensky pressing for the acquisition of American air defense systems such as Patriot missiles. Furthermore, discussions revolved around potential military-industrial cooperation and support for Ukraine's ongoing efforts, with European partners suggested as potential contributors to Ukraine's defense efforts.
