Kyiv residents relieved after White House talks

People living in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, expressed some relief following Monday’s talks between President Volodymyr Zelensky, US President Donald Trump and other European leaders at the White House.

None of the residents speaking with CNN went as far as expressing optimism for a peace deal, given Russian President Vladimir Putin’s maximalist war demands.

Kyiv resident Ihor Kharchenko said the result of the Oval Office meeting was “better than it could have been,” adding he was heartened by what he viewed as European and US unity against Russia.

Looking to the future, Kharchenko and other locals said they couldn’t imagine Zelensky sitting down with Putin for a potential bilateral meeting.