The difference in the reception of Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin during their visits to the United States did not go unnoticed in Kiev and demonstrates Washington's approach to relations with Ukraine, writes the British newspaper The Daily Telegraph.
It is noted that Putin was welcomed in Alaska in August 2025 “with all the ceremony“, with US President Donald Trump waiting for him at the exit of the plane at the end of the red carpet. Zelensky's reception in Florida on December 28 did not even include a "routine greeting from an American official."
The publication believes that this discrepancy symbolizes the fragility of relations between Ukraine and the United States, which has not gone unnoticed in either Moscow or Kiev.
Trump received Zelensky on December 28 at his Florida estate. After bilateral talks lasting more than two hours, they held a video call with European leaders. According to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the discussion focused on security guarantees. At a joint press conference with Zelensky, Trump acknowledged that the territorial issue remains unresolved. He expressed the opinion that Russia, the United States and Ukraine are now "much closer" to an agreement than ever.
Before the meeting with Zelensky, Trump had a phone call with Putin. He described the conversation as very good and productive. Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov said that Trump listened carefully to Putin's arguments and the Russian side's assessments during the phone call.