Russian Media Downplays Trump-Zelensky Meeting, Highlights Putin-Trump Call

Russian state television and pro-Kremlin media have downplayed the outcomes of the recent meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and European leaders, suggesting that Kyiv and Europe have limited influence over U.S.-Russia discussions concerning the war in Ukraine.

The White House talks, organized swiftly after President Vladimir Putin's meeting with Trump in Alaska, included leaders from Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Finland, the EU, and NATO, aiming to devise a plan to end the conflict. However, Russian media focused more on Trump's interruption of these talks to call Putin, considering this call more noteworthy than the meeting itself.

State broadcaster Rossia 1 began its news bulletin with comments from Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov regarding the Putin-Trump call, stating that it aimed at "beginning arrangements" for a meeting between Putin and Zelensky. Ushakov noted that Putin and Trump "expressed support for the continuation of direct negotiations between the delegations of Russia and Ukraine."

Channel One also led its broadcast with coverage of the Putin-Trump call, which occurred shortly after the Alaska summit between the two presidents. The host quoted Ushakov, saying that Putin and Trump "agreed to maintain close contact on Ukraine and other pressing issues."

In contrast, the meeting between Trump, Zelensky, and European leaders was portrayed less favorably. Rossia 1's correspondent commented that "the decisions Western countries will have to make in the coming days promise nothing good either for themselves or for Kyiv."

Referencing a previous meeting where U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance criticized Zelensky for not expressing gratitude, Channel One remarked, "Zelensky was so afraid of angering Trump that he thanked him almost without pause."

Pro-Kremlin outlets also echoed this sentiment. Moskovsky Komsomolets ran a headline stating, "'At Least They Didn't Fight': Ukraine Reacts to the Outcome of White House Talks," while Komsomolskaya Pravda published an article titled "Zelensky's Dead End: Trump Clashed Hard with [German Chancellor Friedrich] Merz Over Ukraine at the White House and Called Putin."

The article described the group photo from the meeting, noting that "everyone looked gloomier than a thundercloud," and added that "Zelensky occasionally flashed a 'diplomatic' smile, which gave off a rather unsettling impression."

Between his discussions with Putin and the recent meeting, Trump has urged Kyiv to concede annexed Crimea and abandon its NATO membership aspirations, aligning with Moscow's key demands. He also suggested discussions on "the possible exchanges of territory" between Russia and Ukraine. Ukraine, with 20% of its territory occupied by Moscow, has consistently rejected any territorial concessions.

State-run news agency RIA Novosti published an op-ed titled "We'll Have to Go as Far as Lviv: In Washington, Europe Got What It Wanted," referring to the western Ukrainian city near Poland's border. Columnist Kirill Strelnikov wrote, "No delegations from Brussels and no attempts to reverse the process will work: serious actors [Putin and Trump] have agreed on serious matters and will move forward together step by step, cutting off any attempts by third parties — not only to put a gun to their heads but even simply to add extra chairs at the table."

He further warned that if the messages from the two presidents are not heeded, "Europe and Kyiv will have to forget about truly generous compromises from Russia," suggesting that "the Lviv region might strongly wish to reunite with its fraternal people."

Source: The Moscow Times