Dr. Frank Umbach assesses the results of the Ukraine summit in Washington on Phoenix vor Ort. Dr. Frank Umbach assesses the results of the Ukraine summit in Washington on Phoenix vor Ort.

Dr. Frank Umbach examined the statements made by US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Zelensky following yesterday's summit meeting. The security expert analyzed the stance of the two heads of state in Washington and compared it with previous meetings between Trump and Zelensky. Dr. Umbach recalled that a few months ago, Trump had demanded major territorial concessions from Ukraine, thereby abandoning the US position on the war in Ukraine formulated under Biden. In doing so, the US president had “reduced his own negotiating leeway [...]” and maneuvered himself into a fragile negotiating position vis-à-vis Putin. From Dr. Umbach's point of view, Russia's negotiating position on its war of aggression against Ukraine, which violates international law, could be classified in the tradition of Soviet negotiating skills in international conflicts.