The much-anticipated talks lasted two-and-a-half hours, and that's an achievement in itself. Presidents Trump and Zelensky had never before spent this long in one room, negotiating.
Afterwards, optimism was much on display at Mar-a-Lago. It was a terrific meeting, according to Donald Trump. Volodymyr Zelensky agreed, describing it as a great meeting with great discussions on all the topics.
However, despite the positive tone, there was no substantial evidence of progress—similar to previous discussions held this year.
A key question remains whether Ukraine may need to concede any territory for the promise of peace, a principal Russian demand seemingly supported by the US. Zelensky has not publicly accepted this, which could be seen as a positive development, although he has suggested the possibility of holding a referendum to finalize any territorial decisions.
Another pressing concern is the lack of clear security guarantees. While Zelensky claims these were 100% agreed with the US, specifics remain vague, raising doubts about their adequacy in deterring potential future attacks from Russia.
Moreover, there is skepticism about whether Russia would agree to any deals emerging from the meeting, as they have already dismissed proposals for a ceasefire and a multinational monitoring force.
This raises the question of what actions Trump may consider should Russia reject the agreements made with Zelensky. Given Trump’s ongoing favorable rhetoric towards Putin, the situation appears unlikely to change, further complicating Ukraine's path to lasting peace.
In conclusion, despite the upbeat atmosphere shared by Trump and Zelensky, the journey towards enduring peace in Ukraine seems fraught with challenges and uncertainty.
