President Zelensky says he has had a “long and substantive” conversation with President Trump – first one-on-one and then with European leaders.
In a written statement, Zelensky says the Ukrainian and US presidents spoke for about an hour one-on-one.
The statement is relatively short on substance but very rich on positive sentiment – a reflection of Ukraine’s recent efforts to maintain good relations with Trump after the two leaders’ disastrous Oval Office meeting in February.
Ukrainians were deeply unhappy to be left out of the summit in Alaska, and Zelensky emphasises in the statement that all three leaders should be present for the next round of talks.
He also stresses the importance of European leaders being present “at every stage to ensure reliable security guarantees together with America”.
The presence of European leaders is seen by many Ukrainians as a bulwark against the possibility of Trump – who is known to be susceptible to flattery – being influenced by Putin.