WASHINGTON, December 29. /TASS/. US President Donald Trump seems to understand that Kiev's stalling of the conflict resolution is weakening Ukraine's negotiating position, Professor Peter Kuznick, director of the Nuclear Studies Institute at American University in Washington, told TASS while commenting on Trump’s meeting with Vladimir Zelensky on December 28.

"It looks like little if any progress was made in Trump's meeting today with Zelensky, which is unfortunate though not unexpected," Kuznick noted. "Neither spoke of major breakthroughs. Both stressed the complexity of the remaining issues and the difficulty of resolving them," the expert added, noting that Trump "expressed little of his usual exuberance and optimism." According to Kuznick, the US leader "even restrained his usual penchant for saying how 'perfect' meetings are and how much was achieved."

"Trump seems to understand that the longer Ukraine resists, the weaker its bargaining position will be and the more Ukrainians who will be dead and wounded," the expert believes. In his view, "Zelensky and his European allies see the handwriting on the wall and realize they can't count on Trump in the way they could always count on [ex-US President Joe] Biden."

The expert said Trump’s criticism of his predecessor, whom the current White House host "gratuitously attacked and blamed for the war in Ukraine," was "typical Trump," while noting that "his lack of exuberance and refusal to make exaggerated claims were not." According to Kuznick, the joint press conference was "anything but upbeat," with the atmosphere described as "extremely subdued and modest."

On December 28, Trump welcomed Zelensky to his Mar-a-Lago residence near West Palm Beach, Florida. At a joint press conference following the talks, the White House host acknowledged that the territorial issue remains unresolved. He said that Russia, the US, and Ukraine are now "much closer" to an agreement than ever before. According to the US president, a deal could be reached within a few weeks. However, Trump also admitted that an agreement might not follow at all.