Economist Podcasts Peace by piece? Zelensky and Trump meet again
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Aug 18, 2025 
Chris Lockwood, Europe editor at The Economist, and Oliver Carroll, Ukraine correspondent, dive into the high-stakes meeting between Volodymyr Zelensky and Donald Trump. They explore Zelensky's balancing act between urgent peace initiatives and U.S. demands, while assessing the skepticism surrounding American support. The duo also examines the evolving landscape of AI-driven entrepreneurship, highlighting the rise of solopreneurs leveraging technology for success. Lastly, they touch on the modern resurgence of traditional Chinese medicine, focusing on a 400-year-old cough syrup gaining traction among Western audiences.
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Demand Credible Security Guarantees
- Zelensky should seek robust, enforceable security guarantees in exchange for any concessions.
- He must avoid territorial trade-offs that lack a credible American backstop.
Guarantees Need Real Enforcement
- Security guarantees that rely on Trump keeping his word are fragile without sustained US and European enforcement.
- Putin can exploit weak guarantees to drive wedges between the US and its European allies.
Europeans Might Be a Separate Backstop
- European leaders may influence outcomes but are likely to meet Trump separately from Zelensky.
- A second meeting could salvage progress depending on leaders Trump respects, like Keir Starmer and NATO's secretary general.
