In this "ask ian," Ian Bremmer analyzes Trump’s recent meeting with Zelensky and how close (or far) Russia and Ukraine are from a peace deal.
Ian notes that Trump’s messaging closely echoed Moscow’s, pointing out that Trump even suggested Putin was “very interested in a strong Ukraine,” a claim Ian says “certainly does not appear to be the case.”
The optics mattered too: Zelensky arrived without a red carpet or senior US officials, reinforcing Trump’s view that “Ukraine is not an ally. Zelensky is a supplicant.”
Meanwhile, Putin sees little reason to compromise as Russia continues to gain territory and divisions within NATO deepen. The result, Ian warns, is more fighting ahead and a transatlantic alliance that looks increasingly unreliable.
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