Trump wants to see Putin and Zelensky
Donald Trump is open to meeting with Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said, partially confirming the New York Times’s reports.
The possibility was discussed in a call between Trump and Zelensky, which, according to a high-level Ukrainian source, also involved NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and the leaders of Great Britain, Germany, and Finland.
“The Russians have expressed a desire to meet with President Trump, and the president is open to meeting with both President Putin and President Zelensky,” Leavitt stated.
According to the New York Times, Trump told several European leaders yesterday that he plans to meet personally with Vladimir Putin as early as next week, followed by a three-way meeting with Volodymyr Zelensky. Steve Witkoff’s visit to Moscow contributed to this outcome.
Handshakes, effusive smiles for the cameras, and polite remarks. The 2-hour and 46-minute meeting between the US envoy and Russian President Vladimir Putin took place in the wake of Trump’s new sanctions to halt the war in Ukraine.
Yet, news leaks from the meeting revealed a substantial stalemate regarding Kiev, the situation of which had apparently been discussed very little. The US diplomat knew full well that a sudden change of course from the Kremlin would be difficult.
The summit had been “prepared” yesterday morning by Kirill Dmitriev, Russia’s representative for investment and economic cooperation. Their hour-and-a-half stroll through birch, larch, and Scots pine trees in Zaryadye Park (near Red Square) had focused on tariffs and economic cooperation, perhaps even a proposal for Washington’s access to Russian oil and gas projects, to ease the restrictions threatened by the tycoon.
Yuri Ushakov, the Kremlin’s foreign policy adviser, spoke to reporters about the summit between Witkoff and Putin: “The parties discussed the conflict in Ukraine and the possibility of improving relations.
” He stated that “Moscow received some signals from Trump and sent messages in response.” The tycoon, however, expressed surprising optimism after the summit. “Great progress has been made!” he wrote in Truth. “I’ve updated some of our European allies.
Everyone agrees that this war must end, and we will work towards that in the days and weeks ahead.” Washington, however, still plans to impose the promised secondary sanctions starting tomorrow.
