Mark Cancian: Senior Advisor at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies on where the US stands after Oval Office meeting, as European leaders meet in London

An emergency summit has taken place in London, days after a contentious meeting between Trump, Zelenskyy and JD Vance. 

Where does this leave the White House?

Senior Advisor at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies Mark Cancian talks to Mike Hosking about the fall out of the meeting.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
So where does the war go after the White House
melt down? We have an emergency summit in London. I
but not of course, Zelensky has met Starma, also met
the King, got plenty of encouraging words of support, but
words don't win wars. And that's where the Americans fit.
And from the CENA FOL Strategic and International Studies Senior
Advisor Mark Kensian's with us. Mike, very good morning to you.

Speaker 2 (00:19):
Thanks for having me on the show.

Speaker 1 (00:21):
Not at all. Did you see it unfold live in
the White House on Saturday?

Speaker 2 (00:26):
I did. It was incredible and.

Speaker 1 (00:29):
Appalling from whose point of view?

Speaker 2 (00:34):
Well, I think from most observers. This was a very
uncomfortable exchange. Zelensky was trying to explain himself. He was
cut off. You know, these kinds of exchanges I think
are not uncommon in diplomacy, but they're done behind closed doores,

(00:56):
not in front of the press.

Speaker 1 (00:57):
That is true. Do you have a view as to
whether JD. Dance was there as an attack dog to
set that off or not?

Speaker 2 (01:05):
One certainly gets that ceiling. Of course, there's been a
lot of speculation about whether that was true. He did
seem ready to be harshly critical and jumped very quickly
on Zelensky. So my personal suspicion as he came in
ready to be hostile, but hard to say for sure.

Speaker 1 (01:26):
Mark Route, who said out of the weekend, as Zelensky's
got to repair the damage with Trump, do you see
a way back to get America back at the table
in some way, shape or form or not.

Speaker 2 (01:38):
That's very hard to say. This meeting was very disappointing,
and the administration has been very skeptical about a to Ukraine.
They become increasingly hostile to Ukraine, saying you a variety
of unfavorable things, and of course saying favorable things about

(02:01):
Russia and put Uh. I think there's going to be
a lot of effort to repair the relationship. I think
you'll see the Europeans and others weighing in. I think
that Zelensky will uh uh eat a little crow to
use an American expression, I mean he will apologize and uh,

(02:24):
you know, try to offer some you know, some you know,
something to make the Americans or make the White House
feel better. Maybe sign this trade agreement, uh, this mining agreement.
I'm sure we'll see something, uh to try to repair
the relationship. In an extreme situation. You know, maybe Zelensky

(02:47):
would would stand down. I don't see that happening, but
they were clearly pushing for that.

Speaker 1 (02:54):
The logic seems to be as regards the minerals, once
we sign up, the Americans are on the ground in
Uyb looking after their interests. That's the security guarantee of sorts.
Is that the way you see it or not?

Speaker 2 (03:07):
Well, it's a partial security guarantee. It does bring the
two countries more close together, It puts American capital at risk,
It brings Americans into Ukraine as part of these exchanges.
But it's not in itself enough. It would have to
be complemented by some sort of weapons deals to rearm

(03:32):
the Ukrainians, perhaps for some peacekeeping force or something like that.
But it is a peace and Zelenski's desires for NATAL
membership I think are just not going to happen. The
United States would oppose it. I think many of the
Europeans are uncomfortable with it. Also.

Speaker 1 (03:49):
Also, then you get Russia itself, and I just had
a meeting with Putin. The Americans had a meeting with Putin.
And the suggestion is there's not a single thing that
that Russia is prepared to back down on in any
way shape of form. Is that ultimately a sticking.

Speaker 2 (04:02):
Point, Well, it certainly could be. A lot depends on
the negotiators negotiations themselves. I think that they'll, you know,
they're going to push for some sort of cease fire
along the current front lines. One of the negotiators Trump

(04:26):
negotiators put out an article while ago suggesting that, I mean,
the Russians would have to back off their desire to
take over the whole country to neutralize it. You know,
right now, there's not a whole lot of overlap between
the two sides. But on the other hand, they're also
very exhausted, and Trump will be pushing both of them

(04:49):
very hard.

Speaker 1 (04:49):
Exactly. Make appreciate your expertise very much, Mike Kenton, who's
the senior advisor at the Center PA Strategic International Studies
in Washington, d C. For more from The Mic Housking Breakfast,
listen live to News Talks at b from six am weekdays,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.