The US president has said he aims to bring Putin and Zelensky together for direct talks
US President Donald Trump has said he plans to organize the next top-level talks on the Ukraine conflict, aiming to bring his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, and Vladimir Zelensky to the same table.
Trump made the remarks on Monday during a press briefing, ahead of his August 15 meeting with Putin in the US state of Alaska to discuss a possible settlement of the conflict.
“The next meeting will be with Zelensky and Putin – or Zelensky and Putin and me. I’ll be there if they need,” Trump stated, adding “But I want to have a meeting set up between the two leaders.”
Trump said Zelensky was not invited to his meeting with Putin on Friday.
“He wasn’t a part of it,” Trump said. “I would say he could go, but he’s gone to a lot of meetings. You know, he’s been there for three-and-a-half years. Nothing happened.”
Moscow has long accused Zelensky of being in denial and unnecessarily prolonging a conflict he cannot win.
The Russian president says he has “nothing in principle” against meeting with Zelensky, but maintains that “certain conditions must be created” for it to take place.
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Putin has also cast doubt on Zelensky’s legal capacity to sign binding agreements, as the Ukrainian leader’s presidential term expired last year and he has refused to hold a new election, citing martial law. This has prompted Moscow to declare him “illegitimate.”
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