Trump–Zelensky meeting at Mar-a-Lago
December 29, 2025
Global Stage LIVE from United Nations WATCH REPLAY
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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