Presidents Trump and Zeleneskyy meet this week. What’s their relationship like?

Summary

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Podcast Summary: Consider This from NPR

Episode: Presidents Trump and Zelenskyy meet this week. What’s their relationship like?
Date: July 26, 2026
Host: Debbie Elliott
Guest: Oleksandr Kryev (North America Director, Ukrainian PRISM Foreign Policy Council)

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Overview

This episode examines the complex and evolving relationship between U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy ahead of a pivotal White House meeting. Against the backdrop of major political upheaval in Ukraine—including high-profile military firings and widespread protests—the discussion explores how these internal dynamics, combined with Trump’s strategic motivations, could shape the future of Ukraine’s war effort and international alliances.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Political Upheaval in Ukraine (00:00-05:32)

• Recent Firings:
  • Ukrainian President Zelenskyy recently dismissed both his defense minister and the commander in chief of the Ukrainian armed forces.
  • These moves sparked mass protests, reflecting deep concerns about democratic norms and presidential authority.
• Crisis in Democracy:
  • Oleksandr Kryev (03:39): “President has no authority without the legal support from the Ukrainian parliament ... Zelensky distinctively overstepped his own authority and he definitely violated several positions from Ukrainian constitution.”
  • This was seen as a major challenge to Ukraine’s democratic institutions, but civil society activism helped de-escalate the crisis.

2. Protests as a Sign of Democratic Resilience (04:30-05:32)

• Diverse Civic Response:
  • Street protests were widespread and cross-generational, involving students, families, and even military personnel.
  • Oleksandr Kryev (04:33): “Most of our students were there at the streets protesting these managerial decisions of Zelenskyy ... a very distinguished diverse crowd on the streets of Kyiv, Lviv, Zhytomyr, and basically all the major cities in Ukraine.”
• Spirited Defense of Rights:
  • Ukrainians remain committed to democracy and the right to protest, even amid wartime pressures.
  • Oleksandr Kryev (05:04): “We still see that Ukrainians are not ready to give up on the democracy ... Ukrainians are not ready to give up on their right to protest if the government is ready to do some shady stuff.”

3. New Military Leadership & Strategy (05:32-06:44)

• Appointment of General Droparty:
  • General Droparty, a career military leader with a history of success in combat (notably in Mariupol), takes over the war effort.
  • Kryev emphasizes his reputation for operational competence over public self-promotion.
  • Oleksandr Kryev (06:21): “He is the General of the modern war ... not very media active ... one of the best possible variants that Zelenskyy could have chosen.”

4. Trump-Zelenskyy Relationship Dynamics (06:44-08:16)

• Unpredictable Relations:
  • Last year’s tense meeting at the White House has given way to a seemingly improved rapport, but unpredictability remains.
  • Trump has praised Ukrainians as “protectors of Europe” but also blamed them for the war—highlighting shifting rhetoric.
• Strategic Positioning & Realpolitik:
  • Kryev argues Trump isn’t pro-Ukrainian or pro-Russian, but “pro-Trumpian.”
  • Oleksandr Kryev (07:26): “It is not the idea for us to get Trump for being pro-Ukrainian ... He is pro-Trumpian. So the idea for us is just to create this understanding ... that he should work with Ukraine rather than working with Russia.”
• Deal-Making Mentality:
  • Trump’s willingness to support Ukraine hinges on his desire to broker a deal and be seen as a successful negotiator.
  • Oleksandr Kryev (07:52): “What is interesting for President Trump is just to get the deal done ... if my understanding of Trump is correct, the main task for Zelenskyy is just to get on his good side and get everything rolling.”

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Zelenskyy Overstepping Authority:
  • Oleksandr Kryev (03:39): “Zelensky distinctively overstepped his own authority and he definitely violated several positions from Ukrainian constitution ... that was the first major crisis of Ukrainian democracy.”
• On Protests & Democratic Spirit:
  • Oleksandr Kryev (05:04): “Ukrainians are not ready to give up on their right to protest if the government is ready to do some shady stuff.”
• On Trump’s Priorities:
  • Oleksandr Kryev (07:52): “What is interesting for President Trump is just to get the deal done ... he is interested in meeting Zelenskyy.”
• On Relationship Status:
  • Oleksandr Kryev (06:58): “To say the least, the relations are unpredictable.”

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• (00:00-00:45): Setup—Ukrainian leadership shakeups and public reaction
• (03:25-05:32): Causes, legality, and public response to Zelenskyy’s actions
• (05:32-06:44): Introduction of General Droparty and his qualities
• (06:44-08:16): Analysis of Trump-Zelenskyy dynamic, implications for U.S.-Ukraine relations

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Tone & Takeaway

The episode maintains a direct and matter-of-fact tone, balancing analysis of fraught political change in Ukraine with pragmatic insight into what motivates both Presidents. Oleksandr Kryev’s commentary roots the situation in both Ukrainian street-level democracy and high-level international strategy, candidly highlighting the transactional realities of Trump-era diplomacy.

For listeners:
This episode offers a concise, unvarnished look at how shifts within Ukraine and the calculated interests of President Trump converge at a critical diplomatic juncture, with possible major consequences for the ongoing war and the future of Ukraine’s democracy.

Transcript

[Debbie Elliott]

It's consider this where every day we go deep on one big news story today setting the stage for a key White House meeting. It's been a busy couple of weeks in Ukraine. First, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky fired his popular defense minister. That decision led to mass protests across the country. In response, Zelensky fired the increasingly unpopular popular commander in chief of Ukraine's armed forces, a decision that was welcomed by the protesters. And all of this comes just as the Ukrainian president prepares to visit the White House to discuss the state of

[Oleksandr Kryev]

the war

[Debbie Elliott]

amid a busy few weeks in Ukraine. Presidents Trump and Zelensky are set to meet at the White House. What's the status of their relationship and how could it shape the war in Ukraine? From npr, I'm Debbie Elliott.

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[Oleksandr Kryev]

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[Debbie Elliott]

It's consider this from npr. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is scheduled to meet with President Trump at the White House on Tuesday. Last year when the two met there, things got tense.

[Oleksandr Kryev]

You've allowed yourself to be in a very bad position and he happens to be right about it. From the very beginning of the war,

[Debbie Elliott]

you're not in a good position.

[Oleksandr Kryev]

You don't have the cards right now.

[Debbie Elliott]

That was at the White House in February of last year. But a lot has happened since. Trump and Zelensky appear to have mended their relationship despite the fact that support for Ukraine remains divisive among Republicans. Meanwhile, just last week, Ukraine's military leadership went through one of its biggest shakeups since the start of the full scale invasion. Alexander Kryev has been following these developments closely from Kyiv. He's the North America Director of the Ukrainian PRISM Foreign Policy Council, a Kyiv based think tank. Welcome to the program.

[Oleksandr Kryev]

Yes, hello, nice to connect to you.

[Debbie Elliott]

So in just the last two weeks, Zelensky has fired both his defense minister and the commander in chief of Ukraine's armed forces. Can you tell us about the significance of those moves and what prompted them?

[Oleksandr Kryev]

Well, first of all, the main problem here is basic governmental mismanagement. Because president has no authority without the legal support from the Ukrainian parliament and without the good arguments on why he is going to fire these people, he has no authority to do so. So basically the main outrage was not only because it was Fedorov or it was somebody else, but because Zelensky distinctively overstepped his own authority and he definitely violated several positions from Ukrainian constitution. So that was the first this year. I mean, that was the first major crisis of Ukrainian democracy which hopefully was prevented by the activity of Ukrainian civil society and the activity of Ukrainians on the street.

[Debbie Elliott]

What was the scene on the street like and what were people saying?

[Oleksandr Kryev]

Well, as also being a senior lecturer at Kyiv University, Kyiv Mohel Academy, I can only say that most of our students were there at the streets protesting these managerial decisions of Zelenskyy. We see a lot of young people, we saw a lot of families with children being there. They are well, they are well managed through the social media. They involve a lot of people from different backgrounds, as I say, a lot of military guys who were also there. So there is a very distinguishably diverse crowd on the streets of Kyiv, Lviv, Zhytomyr and basically all the major cities in Ukraine. And to many of my compatriots that was a sign that Ukrainian democracy is still very vibrant. Although we didn't have elections since 2019, we still see that Ukrainians are not ready to give up on the democracy even in wartime. Ukrainians are not ready to give up on their right to protest if the government is ready to do some shady stuff.

[Debbie Elliott]

So now with these two figures no longer at their military post, who's leading the war effort?

[Oleksandr Kryev]

Well, basically we have a new General Droparty. He is a career military person from Ukrainian armed forces. He was on the first armored vehicle that entered Mariupol when the Mariupol was liberated from the Russian occupiers in 2014. He is the General of the modern war. He is the one who was fighting for Ukraine since the start of the Russian aggression nearly nine years ago. And a very big plus for him, especially image like plus is that he is not very media active because unfortunately we saw a lot of so called media generals who are mostly active talking about the great victories but not doing even enough for their men. And droparte he was very, to a very big extent, he was shy to promote his successes. Although some of his tactics and some of his approaches, even in training were deliberately sent to other brigades, to other battalions to be taught and to be used by other generals. So Draupadi is one of the best possible variants that Zelenskyy could have chosen.

[Debbie Elliott]

Now, after these tumultuous two weeks in Ukraine, President Zelensky is headed here to D.C. to meet with President Trump in just a couple of days. How would you describe their relationship? Head into this meeting.

[Oleksandr Kryev]

To say the least, the relations are unpredictable. We definitely do remember their first meeting last year at the Oval Office. But after that we heard Trump speaking about Zelensky in a very good tones. He was speaking about Ukrainians as being the protectors of Europe. He was also speaking about Ukrainians as being the one who started the war. However, we should also understand that as of now, Ukraine and Zelensky personally, we, we are beneficial for Trump, much more beneficial than the Russians. Because it is not the idea for us to get Trump for being pro Ukrainian. He cannot be pro Ukrainian or even pro Russian. He is pro Trumpian. So the idea for us is just to create this understanding in the Oval Office in Trump's head that he should work with Ukraine rather than working with Russia, because Russia, they are sabotaging the talks. They are blaming everything on either Europeans or Ukrainians. They are doing nothing to get the deal done. And what is interesting for President Trump is just to get the deal done. And that is why he is interested in meeting Zelenskyy. So in that case, if my understanding of Trump is correct, the main task for Zelenskyy is just to get on his good side and get everything rolling.

[Debbie Elliott]

That's Oleksandr Kryev, a political analyst at the Ukrainian PRISM Foreign Policy Council in Kyiv. Thanks for your insights.

[Oleksandr Kryev]

Thank you for having me.

[Debbie Elliott]

This episode was produced by Daniel Offman with audio engineering by Valentina Rodriguez Sanchez. Our director is Jordan Marie Smith. It was edited by Ten Beat Ermias. Our interim executive producer is Courtney Dorning. It's consider this from npr. I'm Debbie Elliott.

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