Zelensky After Trump Phone Calls: Kiev Will Not Abandon Its NATO Course

On the evening of May 19, U.S. President Donald Trump conducted a series of telephone conversations. Among those on the line were Washington's counterparts in Moscow, Kiev, Brussels, and several European capitals.

The White House leader noted that in approximately three weeks, it will be possible to assess whether Ukraine is taking sufficient steps to resolve the crisis. At the same time, he acknowledged that personal motives will play a role in this process.

Donald Trump, President of the United States, stated:

"There’s a very, very big ego involved. I tell you, there’s a huge ego at play here. But I think something can be done. And if not, I will simply step back, and they will have to continue. I repeat, this is a European problem. It should have remained a European issue. But we intervened because the previous administration firmly decided that we should be involved. And we got involved far more than Europe did, in terms of money and everything we provided to a foreign state in enormous—and I believe record—amounts. Nothing like this has ever happened before."

Following Trump’s calls, European countries decided to increase military supplies to Kiev and to tighten sanctions pressure on Russia. According to reports from the German government, the United States, for its part, is refusing unilateral measures—at least for now, as there are still opportunities to resolve the Ukrainian conflict. Trump also remarked that Moscow is not delaying this process.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Zelensky made a series of contradictory statements. He claimed that he is unaware of Russia’s position regarding the Ukrainian conflict and emphasized that Kiev will not abandon its course toward NATO. Additionally, Ukraine is ready to meet once again with negotiating teams from Russia, the U.S., and EU countries in Turkey, the Vatican, or Switzerland.