Ukrainian refugees react to Trump-Zelensky meeting

Iryna Bakaliar said the talks offered some hope, but she had reservations

The meeting between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has prompted mixed responses from Ukrainian refugees living in the south of England.

Trump said he had spoken to Russian President Vladimir Putin to begin arrangements for him to meet Zelensky, following talks with the Ukrainian president at the White House.

Iryna Bakaliar, who lives in Reading after leaving Lviv in western Ukraine back in 2022, said it offered some hope but it was "surreal" to see them joking when there was still a war on.

Irina Mozhova, who is Ukrainian and lives in Dorset, agreed, saying it was "a mix of hope and just being realistic".

"On one hand, any meeting like this is a good thing," she said.

"The fact they met and had what sounds like a good chat is really encouraging, and we are all desperate for a clear way forwards. But at the same time, we are not naive.

"It's all about what actually happens next... it's a big moment but what we really need is really solid action and support in the future."

Ms Bakaliar said it was "surreal" to see Zelensky and Trump joking

Natalya Buhiri-Shramko, who lives in Newbury, Berkshire, having fled the war with her son, said she had not expected much from the meeting.

"The expectations were low, especially after the meeting [with Putin] in Alaska," she said.

"But it went somehow different, and it gave some hope... that we can find options [of] how to end it, which we all hope [for]."

She said "all Ukrainians" had been glued to the news on Monday.

"Every moment, watching how it was changing, who said what, what promises, what hopes you can build based on that," she said.