‘We have several threats at once’: With the spotlight on Iran, Zelenskyy takes a risky move for Ukraine

Ukrainian officials are making a surprise trip to the United States, a desperate move by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to restart peace negotiations that have stalled since the war in the Middle East erupted. Zelenskyy announced the unscheduled meetings on Thursday, emphasizing that it’s “time to resume them” after previous discussions were “constantly postponed.”

This push comes three weeks after the conflict in Iran effectively froze U.S.-led efforts to find a resolution for the war in Ukraine. According to The New York Times, while many in Ukraine weren’t convinced the peace process was close to ending the conflict with Russia, direct talks had helped narrow some gaps. Zelenskyy told reporters on Friday that Russian officials wouldn’t be attending these new negotiations. 

Instead, he stressed the importance of dialogue with the United States, especially after the U.S. suspended sanctions on Russian oil last week. He called that move “dangerous” for Ukraine, noting it was intended to help bring down energy prices that have skyrocketed because of the Iran war. The Ukrainian leader also sees the U.S. meeting as a crucial opportunity to continue discussions about postwar security guarantees for Ukraine.

Every report indicates that Trump supports Putin

A meeting on American soil marks a significant win for Zelenskyy, who recently that he had a “very bad feeling” about how the Iran conflict impacts Ukraine. Russia is currently benefiting from higher oil prices, and Gulf nations are depleting global stocks of Patriot air-defense missiles, which isn’t great news for Ukraine. 

Zelenskyy has been working hard to keep the world’s attention on his country, giving interviews and touring Europe. “Now is a moment when we have several threats at once,” said Viktor Shlinchak, head of the Institute of World Policy, a Ukrainian research group. He believes these multiple threats are pushing Zelenskyy “to become more active.”

Zelenskyy has been trying to find advantages. He sent Ukrainian military experts to assist the United States in combating Iranian drones. He’s also been traveling in Europe to highlight Ukraine’s defense expertise as a valuable asset. This outreach is also a way to counter criticism from Washington that Ukraine only ever asks for help. 

It’s still unclear if this message will resonate with the White House. Trump, who last year commented that Zelenskyy had “no cards” in negotiations, told Politico this month that the Ukrainian leader now has “even less cards.” These remarks didn’t go over well in Ukraine, especially since Kyiv’s forces have actually made some modest gains on the battlefield recently. 

Trump has also repeatedly portrayed Zelenskyy, not Putin, as the one impeding peace. He also scoffed at Ukraine’s offer to help combat Iranian drones, stating that the “last person we need help from is Zelensky.”

Zelenskyy has brushed off President Trump’s remarks as just “rhetoric” and expressed gratitude for being able to purchase U.S. weapons. The Ukrainian leader likely doesn’t want to completely lose President Trump’s support or make an enemy of him, but probably recognizes he “is not a friend of Ukraine.”