': Donald Trump denies calling Zelenskyy a dictator even though he did – video] Discussing Starmer’s visit to the White House, German magazine Der Spiegel joked that any meeting with Trump has “nail-biting potential,” as observers “never know how it will end.” “Will he want to annex, integrate, buy something?
The relationship between Zelenskyy and Trump is so fraught that French media are reporting that the US president even allegedly considered cancelling the visit altogether – only to be persuaded by French president Emmanuel Macron.
But it is notable how Trump’s language on Zelenskyy has shifted after last night’s meeting in Starmer: no longer a “dictator,” the Ukrainian leader was instead praised by the US president.
After their bilateral meeting, Starmer said he had been clear that “the UK is ready to put boots on the ground and planes in the air to support a deal.” He said he was “working closely with other European leaders on this” and that working with allies was “the only way that peace will last”.
BFMTV claimed, quoting a diplomatic source, that Trump’s team told Ukraine on Wednesday that the meeting was going to get cancelled, prompting Zelenskyy to speak with Macron, who intervened on his behalf.
