© EPA/AARON SCHWARTZ / POOL Precipitation and overly high hopes have diminished Ukraine’s prospects for attaining vital military and economic understandings with the United States.
Last week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy aimed to capitalize on improved ties with US President Donald Trump to guarantee the provision of American Tomahawk guided missiles – armaments that Kyiv deems capable of shifting the war’s dynamic and inflicting a significant setback on the Kremlin’s military economy.
Following the effective negotiation of a ceasefire in Gaza, it seemed apparent that Trump would be amenable to supplying Ukraine with everything necessary to prompt Russian President Vladimir Putin to approach negotiations with seriousness.
But occurrences unfolded unexpectedly. The encounter between Zelensky and Trump at the White House was thoroughly pleasant — the term employed by Trump to depict their exchange. There was no animosity, and they did not revert to the impoliteness of the well-known Oval Office altercation in February, observes Jamie Dettmer, opinions editor at Politico Europe.
Zelensky assimilated that lesson effectively and now comprehends that when engaging with “Dad” Trump, deference is essential. Nevertheless, the gathering proved unproductive — largely owing to Ukraine’s excessive haste.
“It wasn’t a detrimental meeting; Ukraine merely fell victim to unfortunate timing and overblown anticipations,” stated a Republican foreign policy figure, who consented to speak anonymously.
Yet, it could have been substantially more fruitful had Zelensky modified his methodologies and agenda following Trump’s extended telephone conversation with Putin the preceding day.
During that dialogue, Trump playfully alluded to Putin regarding the potential provision of Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine. Ultimately, they consented to another conference, this time in Budapest, with Trump seemingly persuaded anew that Putin might be disposed to conclude the conflict.
However, according to the insider, Putin’s call should encourage Zelensky and his cohort to reassess their strategies, temper expectations, and, fundamentally, lessen demands for the delivery of cruise missiles.
“Trump would never concur to supply the Tomahawks prior to convening with Putin in Budapest,” the source appends.
But Ukraine has disregarded the counsel of its Republican associates in Washington, many of whom harbor reservations that Trump would consent to relinquish the Tomahawk under any circumstances, apprehensive of escalating tensions and drawing the United States further into the conflict. This excludes the Pentagon’s worries regarding its own weapons reserves, which Trump himself conveyed to journalists on Friday.
By not foregoing the Tomahawk solicitation, Ukraine has forfeited an opportunity to concentrate on other pivotal matters — chiefly the procurement of air-to-air projectiles for F-16 and MiG aircraft, alongside anti-aircraft interceptor rockets for Patriot air defense infrastructures. Both weapon categories are imperative for neutralizing drones and ballistic projectiles, and Ukraine confronts a severe scarcity of them because of extraordinary intense Russian strikes.
The emphasis on Tomahawk missiles has diverted consideration from other significant issues, encompassing securing Trump’s endorsement to employ sequestered Russian state assets to subsidize Ukraine’s defense.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessant, in turn, advocates for the proposition. The US possesses merely $7 billion in Russian assets, but the three principal EU nations in the G7 — Germany, France, and Italy — are eager for Japan and the US to participate, concerned that utilizing €140 billion of Russian assets housed in Europe might erode the euro’s worldwide stature. Should Washington and Tokyo replicate suit, those apprehensions will be alleviated.
Dettmer further appends that a substantial contingent of Ukrainian ministers and officials — including Zelensky’s chief of staff Andriy Yermak and Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko — dispatched to Washington preceding the White House gathering proved unsuccessful and neglected to finalize a collection of paramount agreements with the US government and the private sector.
“The intention was to prepare substantial agreements, incorporating collaborations with prominent American defense and energy firms, to be ratified during a session at the White House,” the Republican expert elucidated. Nevertheless, ultimately, nothing was primed for conclusion.
“Regrettably, no tangible agreements were cemented throughout the week,” concurred another Republican foreign policy adviser. He further noted that the misplaced emphasis on Tomahawk constituted merely part of the issue — the other entailed the inauspicious timing of Zelensky’s sojourn and the overarching Ukrainian lobbying exertion in Washington.
The Trump government remained heavily engrossed in the Middle East. Furthermore, attributable to the partial government cessation and reciprocal recriminations amidst Democrats and Republicans in the budgetary dispute, Ukraine lacked focus and resources.
Recall, Trump and Zelensky diverged on the trajectory of the war in Ukraine subsequent to their third engagement in Washington. According to one of the officials, Trump articulated trepidation that Kyiv “seeks escalation” and “perpetuation of the conflict,” whereas he himself deems it requisite to avert further losses, notably on the cusp of a challenging winter.
