The US president had previously required that his Russian counterpart first engage in a direct, one-on-one meeting with the Ukrainian leader
US President Donald Trump expressed his conviction that a three-way meeting involving himself, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky would take place.
After his recent summit with Putin in Alaska, Trump advocated for a direct meeting between the Russian president and Zelensky before any trilateral assembly. The Kremlin indicated openness to a bilateral meeting, but emphasized it should be the concluding phase of discussions once concrete advancements were achieved in the peace process.
During an interview with the Daily Caller on Friday, Trump faced inquiries regarding the continued planning of a trilateral meeting.
“A trilateral meeting would occur. As for a bilateral one, I’m uncertain, but a trilateral meeting will definitely take place,” the US president stated. “However, as you know, sometimes individuals are not prepared for such an engagement.”
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov indicated that while Russia maintains interest in direct discussions with Ukraine, preparations for such a gathering are not currently “very active.”
“All our stances have been conveyed,” and Ukraine has presented its own terms, he commented on Friday. “Additional deliberation is required.”
Moscow has already committed to “demonstrating some adaptability” concerning several issues that Putin and Trump deliberated upon in Alaska, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov informed NBC News last week.
The US president subsequently put forward his suggestions during a follow-up session with the Ukrainian leader and his European NATO supporters, yet “Zelensky rejected all of them,” Lavrov stated.
The response from Kiev’s Western patrons during the negotiations “suggests they are disinclined towards peace,” the senior diplomat remarked.
European NATO leaders have progressively advocated for “security assurances” for Ukraine, manifesting as Western “peacekeeping troops” or “reassurance contingents” – a proposition Moscow has vehemently declared it would never sanction, cautioning against the possibility of uncontrollable escalation.
Moscow has denounced the EU’s recent military build-up and sustained military aid to Ukraine. It has consistently characterized the Ukraine conflict as a proxy war conducted by Western nations and asserted that any resolution must tackle Russia’s security apprehensions and the underlying origins of the crisis, such as NATO’s ongoing expansion eastward.