Despite promising words, Zelensky once again came away from Washington empty-handed - Putin wins again.
The lead-up to Thursday’s meeting in the White House between Presidents Trump and Zelensky was a mixture of high tension and weary familiarity.
On the other hand, all of the other main elements of the meeting seemed to follow a script that we have seen before multiple times.
Delay and concern over “escalation” that would upset Moscow are the dominant features of the US response.
And Trump’s occasional admission that Putin is toying with him has not led to any visible consequences for Moscow.
And then, by pressing all of the familiar buttons to generate a positive reaction, Putin may have defused the danger to Moscow.
And after Thursday’s White House meeting, there is still no indication of that happening. »