Ultimately, no matter what, the meeting in Florida is a small success for Zelensky. It wasn't run over, and Trump didn't eat it for breakfast in his dining room at Mar-a-Lago. Neither him nor Ukraine. He does not have to “immediately” hand over Donbas – as Putin demanded – to Russian troops. And, in what is political acrobatics of the highest order, he managed to win over Trump and keep him in a good mood. That alone is truly admirable.
Zelensky allowed Trump to focus on his favorite topics. They talked about business and elections in Ukraine. President Trump — and this is progress — has recognized that any agreement on Ukraine must be approved by the Ukrainian people. And also that Europe is still at the table.
Trump repeatedly spoke, both before the summit and during the subsequent news conference, about Ukraine's valuable resources and its “great riches.” Zelensky was smart enough to agree to this and propose the creation of joint working groups with the US, which – as Trump claims, although the details are unclear – “would also cooperate with Russia.”
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Two such groups are to be created, one of which will deal exclusively with the economy. Trump wants common American-Ukrainian enterprises and American-Russian cooperation. It was already clear that he wanted to leave half of the profits to the US.
Donald Trump cares deeply about peace
However, one thing was clear both during the summit itself and just before it, for example during the telephone conversation between Trum and Putin). Trump definitely wants to make a deal. Not for Ukraine. For American companies. For yourself and your family. And probably also for a Kremlin war criminal whose planned three-day blitzkrieg against Ukraine almost four years and more than 1.2 million dead or wounded Russian soldiers later spiraled completely out of control.
Ukrainian-American talks at Mar-a-Lago. Palm Beach, December 28, 2025PAP/EPA/PRESIDENTIAL PRESS SERVICE HANDOUT
The point is that Trump has found himself in a position to demand his share. It is a historically guilty absurdity that Europe sits at the children's table. And as part of his show Trump is giving Putin what he has always wanted: time. It's time for the war to continue unimpeded: there will be no ceasefire. Ukraine's key demand has been rejected again.
We are still not sure whose agenda Donald Trump is pursuing
Worse still, the “leader of the free world” even tried to downplay Putin's success. He showed understanding because “he didn't want to be in a bad situation.” AND praised Putin for “not bombing” the power plant in Ukraine's Zaporozhye — the sixth largest nuclear power plant in the world.
U.S. President Donald Trump greets Russian President Vladimir Putin during a meeting in Anchorage, Alaska, August 15, 2025.SERGEY BOBYLEV/SPUTNIK/KREMLIN POOL / POOL / PAP
After this Sunday, doubts remained as to whether Trump was pursuing his own agenda or a joint agenda between Trump and Putin. But one thing is also certain: regardless of Trump's motivations, however noble his private goals may be, without him and his brutal diplomacy, these talks would not have taken place at all.
Without him and his strange sentiment towards Russia, no coalition supporting Ukraine led by Chancellor Friedrich Merz would be formed in Europe. Without Merz, the British would not be in the game, they would not be part of the “coalition of the willing”. Without this coalition, Zelensky would have been peeled at Mar-a-Lago like a soft-boiled egg. And this is what we can be happy about in Europe too: small steps like this.
I’m Ashley Davis as an editor, I’m committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity and accuracy in every piece we publish. My work is driven by curiosity, a passion for truth, and a belief that journalism plays a crucial role in shaping public discourse. I strive to tell stories that not only inform but also inspire action and conversation.
