Ukrainians see ‘nothing’ good from Trump-Putin meeting, call it ‘useless’

KYIV – Mr Pavlo Nebroev stayed up until the middle of the night in Ukraine’s north-eastern city of Kharkiv to wait for a news conference between Mr Donald Trump and Mr Vladimir Putin thousands of kilometres away.

The US and Russian leaders met in Alaska on Aug 15 to discuss Russia’s more-than-three-year invasion of his country.

But they made no breakthrough and, seen from Kharkiv – heavily attacked by Russia throughout the war – the red-carpet meeting looked like a clear win for Mr Putin.

“I saw the results I expected. I think this is a great diplomatic victory for Putin,” Mr Nebroev, a 38-year-old theatre manager, said. “He has completely legitimised himself.”

Mr Trump inviting Mr Putin to the US ended the West’s shunning of the Russian leader since the 2022 invasion.

Ukraine’s leader, Mr Volodymyr Zelensky, who was not invited, described the trip as Mr Putin’s “personal victory”.

Mr Nebroev, like many Ukrainians, was gobsmacked the meeting could take place without representatives of his country.

‘Useless’

“This was a useless meeting,” he said, adding: “Issues concerning Ukraine should be resolved with Ukraine, with the participation of Ukrainians, the President.”

Mr Trump later briefed European leaders and Mr Zelensky, who announced he would meet the US leader in Washington on Aug 18.

The Trump-Putin meeting ended without a deal, and Mr Trump took no questions from reporters, highly unusual for the media-savvy US President.

Ms Olya Donik, 36, said she was not surprised by the turn of events as she walked through a sunny park in Kharkiv with Mr Nebroev.

“It ended with nothing. All right, let’s continue living our lives here in Ukraine,” she said.

Hours after the talks, Kyiv said Russia attacked with 85 drones and a ballistic missile at night.

“Whether there are talks or not, Kharkiv is being shelled almost every day. Kharkiv definitely doesn’t feel any change,” said Ms Iryna Derkach, a 50-year-old photographer.

She stopped for the daily minute of silence held across the country to honour the victims of the Russian invasion.

“We believe in victory, we know it will come, but God only knows who exactly will bring it about,” she said.

‘Pouring water’

Ms Derkach, like many Ukrainians, was suspicious of Mr Trump.

“We do our job and don’t pay too much attention to what Trump is doing,” she added.

In Kyiv, 30-year-old cosplayer Kateryna Fuchenko also worried that the American President was not a real ally of Ukraine.

“I don’t think he is for Ukraine,” she said, criticising Mr Trump for acting as if he was “buddies” with Mr Putin.

“They just poured water from empty to empty, back and forth, as always,” she said, characterising the talks as meaningless, doubting they achieved anything.

Kyiv pensioner Volodymyr Yanukovych said he expected Russia to “fire as they fired” on Ukraine’s capital, which has seen a number of deadly attacks this summer.

Pharmacist Larysa Melnyk did not think her country was any closer to seeing peace.

“I don’t think there will be a truce,” she said, adding that even if the guns fall silent, it will only be temporarily.

Russia has historically “unleashed such major conflicts”, the 25-year-old said, pointing to the 2008 war in Georgia. She asked: “Why does nobody react to this?” AFP