KYIV — Ukrainians are feeling more optimistic after European leaders rallied to Washington this week to join President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House, easing the fear and disappointment stoked here by last week’s unexpectedly chummy summit between U.S. President Trump and Russia’s Vladimir Putin.
In the southern region of Zaporizhzhia, emotions were raw after the Trump-Putin meeting in Alaska.
“It is a humiliation for the United States. They talk to us about democracy and human rights and then bow to Putin,” said Liudmila, a resident of the village of Kanivs’ke. Russian bombs struck her community on Aug. 6, killing two people and wounding 10, including several children. “What can we do? I do not know what they will decide. But we must go on living, we have no choice,” she said.
So, while expectations were generally low for Mr. Zelenskyy’s trip to the White House on Monday, some Ukrainians found hope in the latest developments.
Mr. Trump said the U.S. is ready to help guarantee Ukraine’s security as part of a peace agreement, though officials offered no details on legal scope or enforcement.
Mr. Zelenskyy called the outcome “a major step forward” and said potential guarantees could be formalized “within 7 to 10 days.”
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Oleksandr Merezhko, chairman of Ukraine’s parliamentary foreign affairs committee, told CNN he felt relief.
“I expected much worse,” he said, noting that the “tone had changed” since a contentious February meeting between the American president and Mr. Zelenskyy — and that Mr. Trump “was not negative.” His comment reflected a broader sense in Kyiv that the two presidents, while still far apart on substance, at least managed a more workable conversation.
This week’s encounter in Washington was calmer than the disastrous February meeting between Mr. Trump and Mr. Zelenskyy.
Mr. Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance abruptly cut off Mr. Zelenskyy, scolded him for a supposed lack of gratitude, and accused him of risking millions of lives before ending the talks early. The episode fueled deep public concern in Ukraine that Washington might try to force painful concessions on Kyiv.
Those fears resurfaced ahead of the latest visit, as many Ukrainians worried that the United States could push Ukraine to cede territory to Russia in exchange for a ceasefire. Mr. Zelenskyy reiterated that such ideas run into two immovable barriers. Any large-scale transfer would displace populations on a massive scale, and Ukraine’s constitution forbids ceding territory without a nationwide referendum and formal amendment.
“This is not a video game where you can give up territory and keep playing with a click of the mouse. Millions of Ukrainians live there,” said Ukraine’s ambassador to Germany, Oleksii Makeiev.
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Vadym Denysenko, executive director of the Ukrainian Institute for the Future and a former lawmaker, argued that the “worst-case scenario” had not come to pass. He referred to fears that Washington would halt weapons sales if Kyiv refused to hand over the Donbas. “Overall, the main result is a sketch of a future security agreement,” he wrote Tuesday on Facebook. “The Russians did not get what they wanted most. They failed to scuttle the negotiations by blaming the Ukrainians.”
Near the front line in Donetsk, a volunteer fighter who asked to remain anonymous was blunt when asked about the summit’s impact. “It will not change anything,” he said, reflecting a common sentiment among many Ukrainian defenders. “Our job is to fight, not make predictions. I don’t think we’ll be packing up and going home.” He admitted the situation at the front was difficult and appealed directly to Ukraine’s allies: “If the Americans want to help us, they should send weapons. That is what we need most.” His words echoed the Ukrainian government’s repeated calls for accelerated deliveries of ammunition and air-defense systems.
The most striking development Monday came when the White House announced that Mr. Putin had agreed in principle to meet Mr. Zelenskyy, potentially in Budapest. While the Kremlin has yet to confirm, Mr. Trump has hinted he could join the talks himself.
Mr. Zelenskyy welcomed calls for direct talks with Russia and the United States, underscoring that “issues must be resolved with Ukraine’s participation.”
