Merkel Doubts Zelensky-Putin Meeting Despite Trump's Optimism, Russian Strikes Escalate

Merkel Downplays Zelensky-Putin Meeting Chances Amid Escalating Tensions

Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel expressed pessimism on Thursday about the possibility of a summit between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin, despite optimistic statements from former U.S. President Donald Trump. "Clearly, a meeting between Zelensky and Putin will not happen, which is different from what President Trump and Putin agreed upon," Merkel told reporters. Merkel's comments come as European leaders have privately expressed skepticism about the potential for any progress in Trump's peace efforts. Merkel's remarks are considered the most explicit to date from a high-ranking European official, describing the peace efforts as unfeasible.

Russian Escalation Undermines Peace Efforts

Meanwhile, Russia continues to disregard U.S. calls to end the conflict, launching a new wave of missile and drone attacks on the Ukrainian capital Kyiv. Local authorities in Kyiv reported on Thursday evening that Russian airstrikes destroyed a residential building, killing at least 21 people. Rescue teams are still working to search for potential survivors under the rubble. The EU office in Kyiv was also damaged in the attack. Merkel condemned the attack, writing on "X": "Russia has once again revealed its true face last night. Targeting the EU headquarters shows that the Putin regime is becoming increasingly unscrupulous."

Ambiguity Surrounds the U.S. Position

Europe had hoped that the talks between Trump and Putin would yield clear results, but the outcome has been more confusion. European officials have expressed growing concern about what Putin promised the American side in closed-door talks and what conclusions the United States drew from its discussions with Moscow, casting a shadow of doubt on peace efforts.

Strategic Analysis

Maria Snegovaya, a prominent analyst at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, suggests that Putin's goal is to "convince Trump that he is willing to negotiate" while continuing the offensive against Ukraine. Former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine John Herbst says: "Putin doesn't want to meet with Zelensky at all, he just wants to avoid sanctions."

Challenges Facing Peace Efforts

In addition, a senior European official believes that the visit of the U.S. special envoy to Russia and the vague talks he held with Putin, in addition to the uncertainty about Washington's willingness to provide long-term security guarantees to Ukraine, threaten the progress that Trump-led diplomacy with Russia may make. At the same time, U.S. sources indicate that Trump himself is becoming increasingly frustrated. White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said that Trump was "not happy" with the recent Russian attacks, but "not surprised." Leavitt's statements, in addition to a tweet posted by U.S. envoy Keith Kellogg on social media, in which he described the attacks as "outrageous" and threatening peace efforts, indicate growing American frustration with Putin. Trump, who previously promised to resolve the Russian-Ukrainian conflict on his first day in office, seems to be realizing that Putin's territorial demands are deeply rooted and cannot be easily resolved. However, Trump still considers a peace agreement a cornerstone of his political legacy, and perhaps a means to win the Nobel Peace Prize. Sources indicate that Trump is directing some of his frustration towards Zelensky and Europe, considering their demands unrealistic and that Ukraine must make territorial concessions in order to achieve peace. He does not want to deepen American intervention, fearing alienating his voter base, and continues to blame the war on former President Biden, even though he has been in office for seven months. Senior Ukrainian officials, including the head of the Ukrainian presidential office, Andriy Yermak, are expected to travel to the United States on Friday to hold talks with members of the Trump administration on post-war security issues.