Zelensky and Trump may be doing better, but tough issues lie ahead

The consequences of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s contentious White House visit last month appear to have abated. But this week’s negotiations in Saudi Arabia suggest the conversation over how to end the war in Ukraine will only get harder.

Russia and Ukraine agreed Tuesday to expand a partial ceasefire to include the Black Sea, a development that followed the resumption of U.S. military aid and intelligence sharing to Kyiv. Both the United States and Ukraine have expressed optimism in recent weeks, smoothing over the fallout of Zelensky’s bruising Oval Office meeting.

Yet, even in announcing an agreement, Russia and Ukraine issued separate joint statements with the United States that read very differently, suggesting that the two countries would not be meeting at the same negotiating table anytime soon. And the path ahead is rife with potential hurdles.

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