JOHN YANG: Good evening.

I'm John Yang.# Peace efforts in the war between Russia## and Ukraine shift to the White House# next week when President Trump meets## with Ukrainian President Volodymyr# Zelenskyy.

Their talks come as Mr.## Trump has now aligned himself with# Russian President Vladimir Putin,## dropping his demand for a ceasefire and backing# a comprehensive agreement to end the war instead.

Hours after meeting with Putin in Alaska, Mr.# Trump announced his sudden reversal on Truth## Social.

It was determined by all that the best way# to end the horrific war between Russia and Ukraine## is to go directly to a peace agreement which would# end the war and not a mere ceasefire agreement.

Earlier, the president had told Fox News Sean# Hannity that the responsibility is now on others.

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. President: Now it's really# up to President Zelenskyy to get it done.

And## I would also say the European nations,# they have to get involved a little bit.

JOHN YANG: And now for analysis of all of# this, Andrea Kendall-Taylor, she's a former## senior intelligence officer.

She's now a senior# fellow at the Center for New American Security.

Andrea, in addition to sort of flip flopping# or changing his position on the ceasefire,## there are now reports that he's told# European leaders that he now supports## Russia's demand for territory for peace.# Where does this leave the peace effort?

ANDREA KENDALL-TAYLOR, Center for# a New American Security: Well,## I think this was the big c.. in fact, come around to Putin's point# of view and join on to his demands and## then force that deal on Ukraine and the# Europeans.

And then if they reject a deal## that's unjust and unfair to Ukraine, will# turn around and reassign blame to Ukraine.

You know, I think we're perhaps even in a# worse position than were going in because## I'm exceptionally concerned that now, after months# of suggesting he would ramp up pressure on Russia,## that Trump is once again reversing course and# is going to apply that pressure now on Ukraine.

JOHN YANG: After he spoke with President# Trump early this morning, President Zelenskyy## had a social media post that doesn't# directly contradict the president,## but he does say the fire must cease on# both the battlefield and in the sky.

What does this do for this meeting on Monday?

What# are the stakes for this meeting on Monday now?

ANDREA KENDALL-TAYLOR: Well, the stakes# are really significant.

And as that quote## from President Zelenskyy underscores,# the Russian and the Ukrainian sides are## as far apart as they've ever been.# And so now Zelenskyy really is in## a perilous and precarious position.

He# has to walk a tightrope, essentially.

I think my hope is that he might take a# page from the Russian negotiating playbook## and come back to President Trump with a yes,# but to try to demonstrate, yes, that he too,## is interested in peace, but then lay out# his conditions that would have to be met.## That might help Zelenskyy buy a little# bit more time for things to calm down## and also to buy time for the Europeans,# who I do think really need to prepare to## step in to fill a gap if President Trump# decides to withdraw support for Ukraine.

JOHN YANG: Speaking of those European# leaders, they thought they had an agreement## with the president to push for a ceasefire.

They# met with them on Wednesday.

What can they now do?

ANDREA KENDALL-TAYLOR: You'll see in the public# statements that many of the leaders released that## they don't want to directly contradict# President Trump.

They've dropped their## language about asking for a ceasefire before# discussions on territory or negotiations.

So they're trying to avoid that contradiction,# but then are doubling down on some of the other## conditions that everyone believes would lead# to a more just and durable peace.

So they're## highlighting, for example, that there can be# no limits on the size of Ukraine's military.

So I see their role now again# as trying to keep Trump on side## in part to buy time while they ramp up# their own capabilities to help Ukraine,## while also really working very hard to keep some# boundaries and parameters on any future agreement.

JOHN YANG: Going into this summit, President Trump# really raised the expectations for a ceasefire## that talked about how it's really what he wanted# to come out of the meeting with.

And then the day## after he says the cease fire is out the window.# What do you think happened in that meeting?

ANDREA KENDALL-TAYLOR: Well, I think, you# know, first President Trump sat down with## Putin and was able to hear from him Putin's# version of the war, his version of what's## happening on the battlefield.

And he's# sympathetic to Putin.

He obviously has an## inclination to want to agree with Putin and# maintain that close personal relationship.

President Trump continues to have this# vision of Russia as a great power,## perhaps dating back to the 80s with the USSR# and of course, Sergey Lavrov with the throwback## with the Soviet Union sweatshirt, reminding# Trump that Russia is in fact a great power.

So I suspect he went into that meeting with# Putin and recognized yet again that Putin is## not willing to back down on his demands.

And so he# now, I think, views Zelenskyy as the weaker party.

And I think one final point that is also# worth highlighting is President Trump does## not have a solid grasp of the facts and the# issues at hand.

President Putin, in contrast,## knows these details in and out.

He's a# steely eyed, detail oriented dictator.

If they're in a discussion, in a negotiation,# it's not a level playing field.

I don't see## how Trump can do a good deal when he# doesn't have a solid grasp of the facts.

JOHN YANG: Andrea Kendall Taylor, the Center# for a New American Security thank you very much.

ANDREA KENDALL-TAYLOR: Thank you for having me.