While walking with Zack this afternoon, I decided to listen to the Trump-Zelensky meeting to see what all the fuss was about.

Honestly, I’m glad these discussions are being aired live. It makes things more transparent and allows everyone to see the deep-rooted issues at play.

From my perspective, the U.S. wants both an end to the war and a return on its financial investment.

The main issue seems to be Zelensky’s unwillingness to compromise on territorial concessions or rebuilding costs. In his view, Russia started the war and destroyed Ukraine’s cities—therefore, Russia should be responsible for both returning occupied territories and paying for the damages.

In reality, as Trump pointed out, that’s not realistic. There has to be compromise on both sides, whether one believes it to be fair or not.

Zelensky appeared frustrated with the deal as it stands, mainly because there are no guarantees of future security. From his perspective, while Putin may not restart the war while Trump is in office, there’s no assurance he won’t in the future.

Trump countered by arguing that no one can predict the future, and decisions must be made based on present circumstances. His stance is that a ceasefire should happen now, with further negotiations taking place later.

At this point, I think Zelensky is letting his hatred of Putin cloud his judgment. While I understand his concerns, the logical conclusion of his approach is to fight until a definitive winner emerges.

But those are just my thoughts.

I'll search up for others' opinions later and see if I'm missing any context. If you have a different perspective, please feel free to let me know.