**US Helps Putin Break Isolation, Says Ukraine’s President**
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that the US is helping Russian President Vladimir Putin to escape years of isolation. This comes after a meeting between US and Russian officials in Saudi Arabia.
A US delegation led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov and Putin’s top aide Yuri Ushakov on February 18. The talks, which excluded Ukrainian representatives, were the highest-level meeting between the US and Russia since the start of the war in Ukraine in 2022.
Zelensky said during a press conference that he believes the US helped Putin escape isolation. He also mentioned that Ukraine is ready for anything, despite the exclusion from the talks.
The talks in Saudi Arabia did not result in specific decisions on ending the war. However, US and Russian officials described the meeting as constructive and said it laid the ground for further discussion.
**US and Russia Talk Peace**
Trump also announced his intention to meet with Putin in person, possibly by the end of February. This comes despite two European leaders – Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban – separately meeting Putin in Moscow last year.
Rubio claimed that the talks in Saudi Arabia were an exploratory first step rather than official negotiations. He said that Ukraine and Europe would participate once the official discussions began.
**Ukraine’s Perspective**
Speaking at the press conference, Zelensky also referred to claims by Trump’s administration that 90% of aid comes from the US. However, he put this figure at nearly $100 billion in military and financial support, much lower than what was claimed.
Zelensky also noted that Russia is being seen as a victim, despite being responsible for the ongoing war. He said that Putin and the Russians are happy because issues are being discussed with them.
**Approval Ratings**
A recent survey by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) put Zelensky’s approval rating at 57% as of February. Trump’s own approval rating currently stands at 44%, according to a Reuters poll published on February 19.
Read More @ kyivindependent.com