Press overview: “Trump has the unpleasant habit of allowing himself to be ensnared by Putin” | EUROtoday

After the summit is earlier than the summit: After US President Donald Trump’s assembly with Volodymyr Zelenskyj in Washington, consideration is already turning to Trump’s deliberate assembly with Russian President Putin. Many media commentators are nervous.

“La Repubblica” (Italy): Trump acts as an impartialist within the Ukraine warfare

“Trump plays the role of impartiality, not ally. Kiev wanted to avoid concessions and sought economic cooperation, the participation of US companies in the energy sector and ports in Ukraine, as well as major agreements on military cooperation. And the tightening of sanctions. Dreams that remain unfulfilled. All this, by the way, served to bring Putin to the negotiating table.

That is why Zelensky does not give up the most important issue in the bilateral negotiations: the security guarantees that America does not give him. Strong, binding U.S. guarantees that would ease Kiev’s concerns about a painful peace.”

“The Times” (Great Britain): Many unanswered questions earlier than the Ukraine assembly in Budapest

“President Trump’s announcement that he will meet with President Putin in Budapest to discuss ending the ‘inglorious’ war in Ukraine puts a new twist on the dialogue about the country’s future. (…)

A lot is unclear. Does Trump see his success in brokering a ceasefire in Gaza as confirmation that his personal intervention and authority can end conflicts that conventional diplomacy has failed to resolve, no matter how intractable? Has he received any signals that the Russian president might be more forthcoming or candid than at the Alaska summit, which was widely seen as unsuccessful in terms of a Russian commitment to ending the war?

And was the suggestion that the US could supply Tomahawk missiles a signal of increasing support for Ukraine and anger at Russian intransigence, or simply a threat to bring Putin back to the negotiating table?

Nor is it clear whether Putin believes he can manipulate Trump a second time to ease sanctions and reset U.S.-Russia trade relations – which Moscow desperately needs – without having to make concessions on its demands that Ukraine be neutralized, disarmed, kept out of NATO and forced to cede all the territory it has already lost in the war.

“Verdens Gang” (Norway): Is Trump being deceived by Putin once more?

“It’s unhealthy information for Volodymyr Zelensky that Donald Trump is having an extended discuss with Vladimir Putin simply hours earlier than the Ukrainian president is because of go to the White House in Washington. Trump has a nasty behavior of permitting himself to be ensnared by Putin, and when there may be discuss of a brand new summit between them, there may be as soon as once more no signal that the opposite occasion, Ukraine, will probably be current this time turns into.

Vladimir Putin is below extra stress than ever within the Ukraine warfare. This will not be least as a result of three and a half years of warfare are having an affect on the Russian financial system, whereas on the identical time progress on the battlefield for the Russians is minimal. We can solely hope that Trump will proceed to place stress on Putin – and never let him idiot him once more.”

“El Mundo” (Spain): Trump’s unpredictability

“The White House meeting between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky stood in stark contrast to Trump’s attempt in February to publicly humiliate his Ukrainian counterpart. Unlike that frenzied performance in which he repeated much of Russian propaganda, Trump seemed more receptive to Zelensky this time, although no actual about-face emerged from his statements to the press can be read in favor of Ukraine.

On the one hand, he did not agree to deliver the Tomahawk missiles, which Zelensky urged him to do in order to put pressure on Moscow. On the other hand, he expressed his conviction that the Russian autocrat “wants to end the war,” a goal that he intends to promote at the meeting that the two will hold in Budapest in two weeks. This meeting is very worrying because it will take place on European soil and specifically under the government of Viktor Orban, a clear ally of Putin.

After his international success with the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, Trump seems to be sending a signal that the conflict could end. But his unpredictable nature requires extreme caution. Especially because Putin’s expansionist ambitions seem to be hard to slow down. Neither Ukraine nor Europe can accept a cessation of fighting at any price: in this war our values ​​and our own survival are at stake.”

“Tages-Anzeiger” (Switzerland): No lasting peace without the EU

“Of course there’s a technique to the selection. Trump values ​​Hungary’s Viktor Orbán as an ally and usually by no means misses a possibility to humiliate the hated EU in entrance of the world. (…) From Trump’s perspective, peace in Ukraine is a matter that he negotiates with Putin over the heads of the Europeans, amongst superpowers. (…)

Instead of complaining, Europeans would do higher to assist form the place progress will not be attainable with out their contribution. In any case, there will probably be no lasting peace within the Middle East or in Ukraine with out Europe’s political, financial and humanitarian involvement. Trump or not. (…)

Since the US stopped its monetary assist for Kiev below Trump, the Europeans have been bearing this burden alone – on the identical stage as earlier than. Europe has realized that the result of this warfare will form the safety scenario by itself continent for many years to return.

This dedication offers Europe energy even when it isn’t on the desk with Trump and Putin. The Europeans additionally characterize the pursuits of Ukraine within the negotiations out of their very own curiosity – even towards Trump if he desires to betray Volodymyr Zelensky to Putin. The American, in flip, is aware of that, within the face of a crucial American public, he can not afford to desert Ukraine totally. He wants the Europeans as safety and assure.”