US President Donald Trump will host Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday (June 25) on the sidelines of the NATO summit in The Hague. A Ukrainian presidency official confirmed the meeting to AFP, saying the two parties are coordinating details.
The negotiations are likely to centre on Russia sanctions, fresh arms contracts for Ukraine, and the recent Russian threat to take the northeastern Ukrainian city of Sumy. The encounter represents a fresh instance of tension and diplomacy between the two leaders, who have had a tense relationship in the past.
Meeting Set Amid Summit—and Strains
The political leaders are scheduled to gather in the early afternoon in the Netherlands. The prime topics on the agenda are the request by Ukraine for a new defence package. Much of the request is related to air defence systems. Ukraine also seeks stricter sanctions on Moscow, such as a more precise oil price cap.
Today, Ukraine and its foreign partners wish to reduce the price limit for Russian oil from $60 per barrel to $45. Trump, however, has refused to endorse any fresh sanctions. This is even when Russian President Vladimir Putin has been rejecting support for a ceasefire in the three-year war.
Putin’s Threats and Zelensky’s Warning
Voodymyr Zelensky has vocally accused Russia of resuming its aggression, however. On June 20, he threatened that Putin is “not in the mood” to stop fighting. He stated that Moscow continues to crave war and referred to Putin’s statement about possibly capturing the city of Sumy to establish a buffer zone.
This is to say the pressure the world is putting on them isn’t hurting them sufficiently,” Zelensky wrote on X. He continued, “The Russian economy is already falling apart. We will enhance this process further.”
Trump and Zelensky: A Tense History
The summit follows after Trump missed a potential meeting with Zelensky at the G7 summit in Geneva. Trump departed early because of the Iran-Israel conflict. Their previous face-to-face meeting at the White House concluded with tension. Trump accused Zelensky of ingratitude, and the Ukrainian leader shortened his visit.
Zelensky continues to be an important figure at the largest global forums. Nevertheless, he was left out from the NATO working group, partially because of his turbulent relations with Trump. Nonetheless, Wednesday’s session will be pivotal. It can redefine Ukraine’s military aid pipeline and reset Trump’s place in the war diplomacy.
