European leaders breathe sigh of relief, but doubts linger over Trump’s pledges to Ukraine
Volodymyr Zelensky and other leaders hailed the summit as a breakthrough, but the value of the US guarantees have been called into question
After meetings with Trump that bordered on the obsequious, eight European leaders – including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky – trumpeted the trip as a success.
“This was the best of our meetings,” Zelensky said. “I was able to show many things, even on the map, to all American colleagues regarding the situation on the battlefield.”
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said: “My expectations have not only been met, but exceeded … it could have turned out differently.”
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen highlighted Trump’s support for returning the thousands of Ukrainian children captured by Russian forces since the start of the war, thanking him “for his clear commitment today to ensuring these children are reunited with their loved ones.”