Zelensky’s Urgent Outreach Before Trump-Putin Summit

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is working hard to sway President Donald Trump’s mindset ahead of the upcoming meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to sources relayed by Axios on Wednesday.

On that day, Zelenskyy reached out to Trump as well as various European leaders, urging them not to offer concessions that could allow Putin to gain ground in Ukraine. Reports suggest that Trump aims to gauge Putin’s willingness to foster peace in Ukraine but believes that any discussions related to territory should not take place during the summit.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio may also be involved, as officials from the State Department indicated in communications.

It seems there’s some uncertainty about Trump’s objectives for the meeting with Putin. A Ukrainian official remarked that “no one quite knows what he intends to achieve” on Friday.

Additionally, Europe is apprehensive about Trump potentially conceding to Putin’s demands during this encounter. Nonetheless, U.S. officials conveyed to Axios that Trump is quite displeased with Putin and remains prepared to impose sanctions or tariffs should Russia refuse to engage in meaningful discussions.

There has been a prevailing sentiment that the U.S. could significantly undermine the Russian economy soon. A U.S. official commented on this, reflecting that while there are various ways to harm Ukraine, the focus should ideally be on crippling the Russian economy as a priority.

Recent developments indicate that Russia has made significant gains in the Donetsk region of Donbas, breaking through Ukrainian defenses just as the Trump-Putin summit approaches. Reports also suggest that Trump is dedicated to supplying Ukraine with weapons if diplomatic efforts fail.

While the State Department facilitated communication between the Daily Caller News Foundation and the White House, a response was not immediately forthcoming. The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry also did not comment right away.