The editor-in-chief of the German publication Bild, Paul Ronzheimer, commented on the negotiations between the presidents of Ukraine and the USA, Volodymyr Zelensky and Donald Trump, which took place in the United States. According to him, despite talks of “great progress,” there have been no real advancements on key issues.
Source: Bukvy
Ronzheimer emphasized that already a day after the meeting at Mar-a-Lago, it became clear that Russian President Vladimir Putin is not ready to make concessions on his main demands. The friendly atmosphere of the negotiations did not change the fundamental positions of the parties.
A source in the Ukrainian government told Bild that the number of meetings and phone calls does not matter, as the Kremlin’s position remains unchanged. According to the interlocutor, Putin demands the entire Donbas and much more, while publicly not expressing any desire for peace.
This assessment was also confirmed by Volodymyr Zelensky in an interview with Fox News. He stated that he sees no signs of Russia’s readiness for peace, as Putin only talks about continuing the war, not de-escalation.
Ronzheimer notes that the key problem lies in the differing approaches: the USA shows cautious optimism, while Russia does not abandon maximalist goals. The Kremlin relies on military pressure and political intransigence rather than compromise.
All of Ukraine’s proposals, including the idea of a possible referendum on temporarily occupied territories, were rejected by both Putin and Trump. According to Ronzheimer, this eliminates one of the few ideas that could theoretically initiate a de-escalation process.
In Ukraine, there is also deep distrust of such settlement models. The experience since 2014 shows that Russia systematically violates all agreements. The idea of a demilitarized zone raises particular concerns: it is unclear who would guarantee security and how they would respond in the event of the appearance of Russian “little green men.”
According to Bild, Ukraine’s strategy is to prevent the unconditional acceptance of Russian arguments by the American side. Kyiv insists on considering Ukrainian evidence, involving Europe, and ensuring full participation of allies in the negotiations.
Ukrainian diplomats also note that after contacts between Trump and Putin, the American president often returns to Russian maximalist demands, even if he previously showed understanding of Ukraine’s position. According to them, a similar situation was observed during the meeting with Zelensky.
Additional tension was caused by Russia’s accusations of an alleged attack on Putin’s residence. Ukraine denied this, and Zelensky stated that such reports are an attempt to disrupt progress in negotiations. He also warned of Russia preparing new strikes on government buildings in Kyiv.
The issue of security guarantees also remains unresolved. Despite statements about achieving a “100% agreement,” no details regarding troops, mandates, or response mechanisms have been disclosed. At the same time, it is unclear whether European countries are ready to take on real military risks.
Ronzheimer concludes that there is currently a struggle for influence over Trump and his entourage. The main question is how long the U.S. president is willing to advance this process without setting clear deadlines. In Ukraine, according to the journalist, there is unity in the government and the army: there are no signals of Putin’s readiness for real compromises, and the intensity of Russian attacks only confirms this.
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