Today in Brussels, Ukraine acting President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, after which they gave a press conference. They also both attended the European Coalition of the Willing virtual meeting. They both are now on their way to Washington, D.C. to meet at the White House on Aug. 18 with President Trump.
Zelenskyy’s points at the press conference clashed with what Trump’s Special Envoy Steve Witkoff has identified as matters to be worked out. On the matter of Russia seeing a ceasefire after talks are well and truly underway, and not before, Zelenskyy disagreed. And firstly, Zelenskyy insists, talks on land have to proceed from the “contact” or “front line” of territory, and not on administrative boundaries, as the Russians and Americans say.
