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Trump seeking rapprochement with Russia, Zelensky represents irritation — expert tells WSJ

The Wall Street Journal said it is too early to tell if the Vatican meeting marked "an inflection point"

NEW YORK, May 3. /TASS/. US President Donald Trump wants a rapprochement with Russia and he perceives Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky as an irritating factor, British defense analyst Michael Clarke told The Wall Street Journal (WSJ).

"Trump's ambition is a rapprochement with Russia on a global scale and so Zelensky just represents an irritation. No amount of talking will change that," the expert said, commenting on a recent meeting between the US leader and Zelensky in the Vatican.

While that meeting improved the atmosphere between Trump and Zelensky, the dynamics of the bilateral relationship was not fundamentally altered, Clarke added. The Wall Street Journal said it is too early to tell if the Vatican meeting marked "an inflection point."

Trump and Zelensky held a 15-minute meeting on the sidelines of Pope Francis’s funeral on April 26. White House Communications Director Steven Cheung described the discussion as "very productive," Reuters reported. Shortly after sitting down with Zelensky, Trump said that he told him it would be "a very good thing if we can produce a [minerals] deal," because Russia is "much bigger and much stronger.".

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