A careful selection of cast and roles and a clear strategy to avoid deadlocks.- 'Clumsy attempts' - Each had a pre-scripted role, according to one participant at the summit.

The leaders of Germany, France, Britain and other supporters of Ukraine have come together in exceptional ways to help sway the U.S. president.

The president praised his guests at this week’s meeting, a change in tone that follows big concessions from Europe and careful observations of the way he operates.

French President Emmanuel Macron, at peace talks with U.S. President Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and other EU leaders on Monday, proposed a future four-way meeting about Ukraine that would include Europe.

French President Emmanuel Macron has warned that Russian President Vladimir Putin is "a predator" and "an ogre at our gates," stressing that Russia poses a serious and ongoing threat to Europe. The remarks came during an interview with French news channel LCI on August 19,

Macron described Putin as a “predator, an ogre at our gates” who “needs to keep eating” to survive, posing a persistent threat to Europe. Macron noted that since 2007–2008, Putin has rarely kept his promises and has consistently acted as a destabilizing force,

WASHINGTON (AP) — Ukraine’s future could hinge on a hastily assembled meeting Monday at the White House as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy brings with him an extraordinary cadre of European leaders to show U.S. President Donald Trump a united front against Russia.