Volodymyr Zelensky handed Donald Trump a letter… but it wasn’t meant for him! What’s going on?
A new chapter in relations: Zelensky, Trump and the gesture with the envelope
A symbolic moment at the summit
On Monday, during an official visit to the White House, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky handed Donald Trump a white envelope, joking: “This is not for you, sir”. The letter was in fact addressed from Ukraine’s First Lady, Olena Zelenska, to Melania Trump. The situation drew smiles from the politicians and journalists present. For many, it was one of the few light moments during the usually very serious talks on the security and future of Ukraine.
Pressure from Trump
The meeting between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House in Washington, attended by European leaders, is currently under way. The meeting is of key importance – Trump is pressing for an agreement to end the war and is discussing possible new security guarantees for Ukraine, although they are not guarantees under NATO’s Article 5.
President Trump confirmed that after the current meeting he will call Vladimir Putin. If a joint (trilateral) meeting with Putin and Zelensky does not take place, “the fighting will continue”, whereas if it does, there is a chance of “maybe the end of the war”. Trump stated that the US will give Ukraine “very good protection, very good security”, but the details remain unclear.
Donald Trump backed away from his earlier, harsh demands for an immediate ceasefire. He said that he understands why neither side wants a truce and suggested that work on peace could continue even while fighting goes on: “We can work out a peace agreement while the fighting is ongoing”.
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