Zelenskyy focuses on security, Trump – on immediate ceasefire: details of Paris meeting

Reuters has reported that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has used his first meeting with US President-elect Donald Trump following the US elections to emphasise Ukraine's need for security guarantees in any negotiation process aimed at ending the war with Russia. Source: Reuters, citing sources familiar with the discussions on 7 December Details: Reuters sources stressed that the meeting in Paris between the three leaders - Trump, Zelenskyy and French President Emmanuel Macron - did not cover specific details of any peace plan.

However, the US president-elect reiterated his desire for an immediate ceasefire and negotiations to bring the war to a swift end.

One source noted that Trump was friendly, respectful, and open during the discussions and appeared willing to listen. Nevertheless, Reuters highlighted that neither Trump nor officials close to him working on Ukraine-related matters have provided a clear answer on how they envision ending the war. Nor has there been any response to Ukraine's insistence on receiving security guarantees as part of any settlement.

This has created a growing sense of uncertainty in Kyiv, further heightened by Russia's capture of new territories in Donetsk Oblast and its continued drone attacks on cities far beyond the front lines.

A source within the Ukrainian president's office said that the Paris meeting underscored that peace requires guarantees and that a mere ceasefire would be insufficient, as Putin could violate it again, as he has done in the past. Reuters sources stated that Trump is currently "thinking about all the details". Several officials close to Trump mentioned that he focused his meetings on building personal relationships, a key aspect of his diplomatic approach, and that ultimately, he alone would decide the course of future actions.

Quote from Reuters: "The generally cordial nature of Trump's direct dealings with Zelenskyy differs from some of his public pronouncements about the Ukrainian leader on the campaign trail, including calling him 'the greatest salesman on Earth' for having solicited and received billions of dollars of US military aid. Macron and Zelenskyy were on the same page at the Paris meeting, but were careful not to seem like they were cornering Trump, one official said. The French leader and Zelenskyy worked in synergy to outline how they viewed the situation, while underscoring that without US support it would be very difficult for Kyiv, the official added."

More details: Ukrainian sources cited by Reuters noted that Zelenskyy believes that out of all the international political actors, Putin fears only Trump, and perhaps China. He also thinks any lasting peace will require Washington to be "truly strong". Two other sources noted that Macron used the meeting to emphasise that Europeans have already done a great deal to support Ukraine and are prepared to share the security burden with the United States more evenly.

Another official said Macron and Zelenskyy explained to Trump that Putin in 2024 is not the same as he was in 2017 when Trump last dealt with him.

The same official added that the rapid decline of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and the setbacks faced by his close ally Russia were also presented as reasons for adopting a tougher stance on Moscow in future peace efforts.

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