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Trump’s treatment of Zelensky points to fragility of US-Ukrainian relations — newspaper

The paper notes that Putin "was welcomed to the United States in August with full ceremony, Mr Trump waiting for him at the end of a red carpet in Alaska"

LONDON, December 30. /TASS/. US President Donald Trump’s different treatment of Russian leader Vladimir Putin and Vladimir Zelensky during their visits to the United States clarifies Washington’s approach to relations with Ukraine, The Daily Telegraph writes.

The paper notes that Putin "was welcomed to the United States in August with full ceremony, Mr Trump waiting for him at the end of a red carpet in Alaska." However, when Zelensky arrived in Florida on December 28, "there was no red carpet and no welcome at all."

According to The Daily Telegraph, "that disparity - and the fragility of the US-Ukrainian relationship it symbolizes - will not have been lost on either the Ukrainian or Russian leaders."

Trump received Zelensky in his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida on December 28. Following bilateral talks that lasted more than two hours, the two leaders held a video conference with European leaders. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the discussion had focused on security guarantees. At a joint press conference with Zelensky, Trump acknowledged that the territorial issue remained unresolved. He said that Russia, the US, and Ukraine were much closer to an agreement than ever before.

Ahead of his meeting with Zelensky, Trump held a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The US leader described the conversation as very good and productive. Kremlin Aide Yury Ushakov said the US president had listened carefully to Putin’s arguments and Russia’s assessments.

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