Foreign media about the meeting at the White House. “Trump has cooled Zelensky's enthusiasm”

The meeting between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House ended late on Friday evening. Both leaders spoke after the meeting – Zelensky in person and Trump via a social media post. Both noted that the meeting was good, although they did not provide specifics and refrained from making official statements.

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“Sueddeutsche Zeitung” writes that, compared to Zelensky's visit to the White House in February, “the mood was better this time.” Although before the meeting with Trump, the Ukrainian found out that “telephone conversations between Vladimir Putin, who hosts him in Washington, are always dangerous.”

“SZ” notes with satisfaction that the Ukrainian delegation “was not asked to leave the White House and was served a meal.”

In the context of Trump's approach to war “SZ” claims that “for a long time one has had the impression that the position of the US president depends on who he last talked to.” And in all this, “it is difficult to recognize the plan.”

Noting that Putin congratulated Trump on achieving a ceasefire in the Middle East and discussed with him trade between Russia and the US in a post-war perspective, “SZ” estimates that “flattery and business prospects are probably all that is needed to manipulate Trump.”

Meanwhile, he adds, the US president can play the role of an effective mediator “only when he gets to know his own weaknesses better, as well as Putin's flattery tricks.”

Also “Der Spiegel” states that there was a good atmosphere in the White House and Zelensky learned “how to talk to Trump.”

“Corriere della Sera”: Ukraine's problem is not only about weapons

Italian daily “Corriere della Sera”, while reporting on Donald Trump's meeting with Volodymyr Zelensky, he emphasized that the US president had “cooled” the Ukrainian leader's enthusiasm regarding Tomahawk missiles. According to the newspaper, weapons are not the only problem, because Kyiv does not have money to buy gas abroad.

The Italian daily emphasized: “Missiles, sanctions and money. Zelensky knew he needed all this when he entered the White House for a meeting with Donald Trump. But the host's intention to end the war in Ukraine as in the Gaza Strip, no matter what that means, forces the leader from Kiev once again to tone down his hopes.”

The newspaper found the words of the Ukrainian president after Friday's meeting eloquent: “We are starting to understand each other.”

“Of course,” it added, “the relationship has improved since the disaster in February, because now Trump even complimented his guest on his appearance.”

“And yet there is still no trace of the long-range Tomahawk missiles, which are needed by the Ukrainian military to attack factories and infrastructure deep into Russia. Trump does not agree because he knows that then Putin would not show up in Budapest,” said the author of the article in “Corriere della Sera”.

The daily also noted that Zelensky met with representatives of American producers of Tomahawks and Patriots, trying to propose Ukrainian drones instead.

“But as long as the commander of the world's most powerful army does not give the green light, Kiev cannot do more than what it is doing,” the conclusion reads.

According to the newspaper, Zelensky must resolve the energy crisis before the coming winter, which has a huge impact on the civilian population. It was recalled that on Thursday, for the second day in a row, power cuts were introduced throughout the country due to Russian attacks on infrastructure.

Ukraine needs EUR 2 billion to purchase gas abroad; but the country does not have this money after three and a half years of war – it was added.

The report from Washington also says that Zelensky wants to convince the United States to become more involved in putting greater economic pressure on Russia.

As noted, although US Senate Majority Leader John Thune said that a vote on the sanctions package should take place within the next month, the Budapest summit may again postpone these plans. Above all, however, the Ukrainian leader needs a ceasefire, the article noted.

“Le Monde”: the US president has given up on increasing pressure on Russia

The French daily “Le Monde” emphasizes on Saturday, commenting on the meeting of the presidents of the US and Ukraine: Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky, that Trump has given up on increasing pressure on Russia despite his earlier announcements that he is ready to do so.

“Intoxicated by his diplomatic success in the Middle East (…) the American leader prefers to believe in the advantages of his persuasive power,” says the daily.

“Le Monde” recalls Trump's previous statements about the possibility of transferring Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine and assesses that the White House seems to treat this matter only as a means of deterrence and a tool to put pressure on Moscow.

At the same time – as the newspaper emphasizes – in recent days, Russia has skillfully suggested “large economic projects” to Trump and used “his business language”. “In the face of the weak will of the American administration,” President Zelensky “is forced to show strategic patience,” says “Le Monde.”

“La Vanguardia”: Putin is again buying time in the war against Ukraine

Russian leader Vladimir Putin is again buying time in the war against Ukraine, and the proposal of the Budapest summit dismisses the scenario of the US handing over Tomahawk missiles to Kiev – commented the Catalan daily “La Vanguardia” on Saturday.

According to the newspaper, Putin's strategy has been effective so far, and the Kremlin “has always managed to get US President Donald Trump to cooperate, even in moments of greatest tension between Moscow and Washington.”

Trump's Friday distancing himself during his meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky from the possible transfer of long-range Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine was, according to the newspaper, the latest example of this Russian strategy.

“The proposal for a summit of US and Russian leaders in Budapest effectively cooled Trump's intentions regarding military support for Kiev,” the daily added.

“The meeting in Budapest will not resolve the conflict: it is simply another attempt by Putin to avoid pressure from the president of the United States,” wrote La Vanguardia.

She added that Trump – considering his role in achieving a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip – now believes that “the end of the war in Ukraine is very close”, which in turn is exploited by Putin.

“WSJ”: handing over Tomahawks to Ukraine may be a step towards peace

The transfer of long-range Tomahawk missiles to Kiev may be a step towards peace, limiting Russia's ability to wage war, said the American Wall Street Journal after Friday's meeting of the presidents of the US and Ukraine, Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky.

According to the newspaper, “the U.S. interest in achieving lasting peace in Ukraine far outweighs the risks associated with transferring the missiles.”

As “WSJ” emphasized, Washington is afraid of, among other things, escalation of the conflict with the Kremlin, even though Putin has been firing cruise and ballistic missiles at Ukraine for years and there is nothing escalatory about return fire.

“Tomahawks could become an argument for peace, limiting Putin's ability to continue a devastating war,” noted the American daily.

In this way, Ukrainian troops could not only shoot down Russian drones that regularly attack targets in this country, but also liquidate the Russian drone factory, the newspaper added.

In another text, “WSJ” noted that Trump is focusing on “personal diplomacy”, which, in the American president's belief, can lead to an end to the war without the need to transfer Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine.

The newspaper emphasized that Trump believes that the next meeting with Putin, to be held in the capital of Hungary – Budapest, may bring a breakthrough in the Russian-Ukrainian conflict that has been going on for over three years.

“This strategy is not without risk. Trump's previous meeting with the Russian leader (in Alaska in mid-August – PAP) ended without any specific success and was widely perceived as a victory for Moscow,” wrote “WSJ.” As noted by the daily, critics of the US president claim that the next summit will give Russia more time to wage war against Ukraine.