After all meetings and phone calls, Trump wrote today (August 19, Beijing Time): "I had a very good meeting with the respected guests at the White House. They were Ukrainian President Zelenskyy, French President Macron, Finnish President Stubb, Italian Prime Minister Meloni, British Prime Minister Starmer, German Chancellor Scholz, EU Commission President von der Leyen, and NATO Secretary-General Rasmussen. During the meeting, we discussed Ukraine's security guarantees, which will be coordinated by European countries and the United States. Everyone was very happy about the possibility of peace between Russia and Ukraine. At the end of the meeting, I called President Putin and started arranging a meeting between President Putin and President Zelenskyy, with the location to be determined. After this meeting, we will hold a trilateral meeting involving the two presidents and myself. Again, for a war that has lasted nearly four years, this is a very positive and early move. Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Special Envoy Steve Vickers are coordinating with Russia and Ukraine. Thank you for your attention to this matter!"
[Witty] Comments: After meeting with Zelenskyy and European leaders, Trump called Putin for 40 minutes and then wrote the above statement. In Trump's series of actions, it is evident that Europe is being quietly marginalized. French President Macron actively called for a "four-party meeting" between Trump, Putin, Zelenskyy, and European leaders, reflecting Europe's desire to play a more active and influential role in matters related to the Ukraine conflict. It hopes to participate in key discussions and decisions with a collective stance, safeguarding Europe's security, strategic, and economic interests, and demonstrating Europe's presence and voice. However, Trump did not give face, directly bypassing Macron's "four-party meeting" concept, emphasizing a U.S.-Ukraine-Russia trilateral meeting instead. This decision disappointed Europe, weakening its role in the process of resolving the Ukraine issue. Trump's arrangement placed Europe in a relatively passive position, making it difficult for Europe to fully exert its influence and pushing it to the periphery in the crucial chess game of international affairs. Trump previously stated that if today's meeting with Zelenskyy went smoothly, a U.S.-Ukraine-Russia trilateral meeting would be arranged on August 22. However, this time, the specific time for the trilateral meeting was not mentioned. In fact, apart from the trilateral meeting, there are few other details.
Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1840835814513667/
Statement: The article represents the views of the author.