YouTube link to full press conference between Trump & Zelensky here.

Russia Matters, 2/28/25

1. Donald Trump’s meeting with Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the White House turned into an unprecedented fracas after the U.S. leader berated his Ukrainian counterpart for courting WWIII, while JD Vance accused Zelenskyy of not being grateful enough for U.S. support. To an RM staffer watching the Sky News broadcast, the tone appeared to grow contentious after Trump said he was not aligned with either party to the Russian-Ukrainian conflict,¹ but is rather aligned with the U.S. and the “good of the world.”² Raising his voice at Zelenskyy in front of TV cameras, Trump said: “You don’t have the cards right now with us, you start having problems right now. You’re gambling with the lives of millions of people. You’re gambling with World War III,” according to FT. Vance also actively participated in the melee: “Do you think that it’s respectful to come to the Oval Office of the United States of America and attack the administration that is trying to prevent the destruction of your country?” The spat was followed by Zelenskyy’s televised departure from the White House with the much-previewed U.S.-Ukrainian deal on America’s access to revenues from Ukraine’ yet untapped mineral deposits unsigned. The battle of words between Trump and Vance on one side and Zelenskyy on the other side in the White House in front of TV cameras is unprecedented. No matter what justified grievances Zelenskyy may have with the current peace process, it might have been short-sighted on his part to get into this kind of public spat with the leader of the country that has very significant leverage vis-a-vis Ukraine. Zelenskyy—who said Feb. 23 that he is willing to step down as Ukraine’s president if it would secure lasting peace for his country—has strengthened his reputation as someone capable of standing up to world leaders, but it could backfire given that Ukraine depends on the U.S. for some of the critical elements of its defense.*
2. Prior to engaging in a shouting match with Zelenskyy in the White House on Friday, Trump had continued this week to signal his desire to end the conflict in Ukraine and revive U.S.-Russian economic ties, prompting Putin to reciprocate rhetorically. Among other things, Trump again ruled out NATO membership for Ukraine as he continued to try to woo Putin with conciliatory gestures. “NATO—you can forget about,” Trump said. “I think that’s probably the reason the whole thing started.” Trump also claimed the war could be ended “within weeks” and warned of the risk of escalation into a “third world war.” The U.S. leader also pointed to the ongoing talks on “major economic development transactions which will take place between the United States and Russia.”³ In his turn, Putin claimed openness to peace and a “dialogue on … an indivisible European and global security system for the long term,” but reaffirmed his claim that annexed Ukrainian regions are “non-negotiable.” He also insisted that Ukraine cannot be allowed to continue serving as a “hostile outpost” against Russia. In separate comments this week, Putin said he is ready to cooperate with Washington on developing rare-earth elements that the U.S. needs. While praising Trump for his overtures and offering opportunities to revive some of the bilateral economic ties, Putin also tasked the FSB with thwarting any attempts to disrupt “newly resumed dialogue” between the U.S. and Russia. One would struggle to recall whether and when Putin has previously tasked the FSB with protecting U.S.-Russian relations from being disrupted. Also, Putin’s tasking of the FSB confirms that its remit is not limited to domestic security, making it a competitor to the SVR and GRU in activities outside Russia.
3. Russian and U.S. officials met in Istanbul on Feb. 27 to discuss embassy-related issues as part of efforts to stabilize bilateral ties, according to MT/AFP. The U.S. State Department described the talks as “constructive,” with both sides identifying initial steps to stabilize diplomatic mission operations. The discussions addressed resolving financial and property disputes affecting diplomatic missions, including the return of six Russian properties seized by the U.S. between 2016 and 2018, according to Meduza. Russia also proposed resuming direct flights with the U.S. during the talks, according to Meduza. The U.S. delegation, led by Deputy Assistant Secretary Sonata Coulter, raised concerns about banking access and embassy staffing, while Russia’s delegation was headed by Alexander Darchiyev. During the talks, the U.S. approved Darchiyev as Russia’s new ambassador to Washington, according to Meduza.
4. The leaders of China and Russia sought to project a unified front on the third anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine amid U.S. overtures to Moscow seen as attempts to pry the two powers apart, WSJ reported. In a phone call Feb. 24, Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Putin described the relationship between their countries as robust and immune to interventions from any third country, according to this newspaper. Xi said that China and Russia are “true friends who share weal and woe, support each other and develop together.” The Kremlin said that Putin—who has also sent Security Council chief Sergei Shoigu to meet Xi this week—informed his counterpart “about the recent Russian-American contacts.” “The President of China expressed his support for the dialogue initiated between Russia and the United States,” according to the Kremlin.
5. In the past month, Russia gained 191 square miles of Ukraine’s territory (about 2 Martha’s Vineyard islands). In Russia’s Kursk Oblast, Ukraine lost 10 square miles in the past week—the fastest rate of loss of Russian territory for Ukraine since early December 2024, according to the Feb. 26, 2025, issue of the Russia-Ukraine War Report Card. Additionally, Russia launched the largest number of Shahed drones against Ukraine to date on the night of Feb. 22 to 23 (267), according to Zelenskyy. Up to half of the drones that Russia launches are dummies, according to the Ukrainian air force.