Russia is relishing a series of contradictory White House messages on Ukraine

In Ukraine we watch this in frustration. Unlike in the Middle East, in our case Trump is pressing America's ally and not its adversary,

says Andriy Taranov, a board member of Ukraine's public broadcasting company

Putin will demand the limitation of Ukraine's military potential, that no Western weapons or troops be stationed in Ukraine. He will aim to restrict Ukraine's path to joining the EU and NATO, and seek the amendment of the Ukraine's constitution to make Russian an official language, and try to impose federalization."

Looking ahead, the former foreign minister believes

If he's willing to abandon Ukraine's right to territorial integrity and its right to independent foreign policy, what demands is he still able to make of Putin?"

Melnyk argued

Who will participate in them? Will the carrot or the stick be used? No one can answer that today, because it depends on many factors that are known only to the ones negotiating. I won't speculate over whether Trump has abandoned any positions before the start of negotiations,

he said

I do not share the opinion that the US will negotiate with Russia without Ukraine,

said Volodymyr Fesenko, CEO of Penta, a center for political studies in Kyiv

Some European countries are making it clear that the Trump administration's position is not really acceptable,

said Melnyk

At such a difficult time for Ukraine, I wish the president would follow the example of our European partners, who issued a joint statement demanding Europe's participation in future negotiations,

she wrote

Not only must we sit at the negotiating table, we must also take on a proactive role, especially with regard to the Trump administration, and tell them what is possible and what is not,

he said

It's as if Trump has been hypnotized by Putin,

commented Oleksiy Melnyk from the Razumkov Center, a public policy think tank in Kyiv

That's why the press releases were coordinated,

he told DW

Before even entering into negotiations, he played all the cards he should have saved so he could play them gradually, one by one. It makes you wonder which concessions he'll still be willing to make,

so the expert

A proactive role must be backed by concrete measures and resources,

he added,

Putin will try to pressure Trump on key issues at the meeting in Saudi Arabia, and force the US to put pressure on Zelenskyy. At present, though, the US still maintains the position that Ukraine has to be part of the negotiations. So it's too early to draw dire conclusions,

he said

It is humiliating for us, for me, for Ukraine to see Trump praise Putin as a good man who wants peace,

says Father Alexey, a Ukrainian priest

I'm a little bit shocked. I do not know if it is a game. But what he is saying I do not like,

said Ivan Kobrin, a 28-year-old IT worker

He [Trump] is repeating the Russian narrative, Russian propoganda,

Kobrin said

How can we be sure that everything will be ok. I cannot imagine how the security measures will work,

he exclaims

He [Trump] says one thing one day and something completely different the next. There is nothing consistent about him,

says Tolik a rough hewn 70-something Grandfather who once served in the Soviet navy

Make no mistake, President Trump will not allow anyone to turn Uncle Sam into Uncle Sucker.”

For now, the world had to settle for Hegseth popping into a Nato defence ministers meeting in Brussels to announce

The regrettable thing … is that the Trump administration has, in my opinion, unnecessarily taken two important negotiating items off the table,

Pistorius said