Ukrainians Skeptical About Planned Trump-Putin Summit

Many Express Fear That the White House Is Again Being Strung Along by the Kremlin

- Marc Santora

KYIV – Ukrainians have reacted with caution and deep skepticism to the suggestion that US President Donald Trump can deliver an end to Europe's deadliest war in generations.

A Kremlin aide, Mr. Yuri Ushakov, on Aug. 7 confirmed that a meeting was being planned between Mr. Trump and President Vladimir Putin of Russia in "the coming days."

Mr. Trump had on Aug. 6 told European allies that he would follow such a meeting with a trilateral summit with Mr. Putin and President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine.

Such talks, he said in public comments later, could lead to "the road ending" for the conflict.

Mr. Ushakov, Mr. Putin's foreign policy adviser, declined on Aug. 7 to discuss the idea of a three-way summit with Mr. Zelensky.

Despite the promise of talks, many Ukrainians expressed fear that the White House is again being strung along by the Kremlin.

"Of course, we shouldn't take all this as a prelude to the end of the war," Mr. Volodymyr Fesenko, a Ukrainian political analyst, wrote in a social media post, echoing a widely held view. "On Putin's part, this could be another insidious maneuver," he added.