- Plans for Zelensky-Putin meeting in progress, says White House
- Trump rules out deploying US troops to enforce peace
- Putin reportedly agreed to meet Zelensky directly
There are ongoing preparations for a face-to-face meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, the White House has confirmed.
Eko Hot Blog receives that at the media briefing, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said both leaders have shown interest in direct talks, with multiple possible options being considered for where and how the meeting would take place. While avoiding any mention of specific venues, she stated: “Both presidents have indicated they are ready to meet, and our national security team is working to support that.”
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When asked about the change from earlier suggestions of a trilateral meeting to now focusing on a bilateral discussion, Leavitt said the idea “developed over the course of the president’s discussions with President Zelensky, President Putin, and several European leaders,” adding that all parties believe a one-on-one meeting is “an important first step.”
She added that President Donald Trump is open to the meeting happening without the US being physically present. “The president believes the core issues in this war need to be decided directly by Ukraine and Russia. His position has always been that they should engage in direct dialogue,” she said.
President Trump, now back in Washington following a day of meetings with global leaders on the Ukraine conflict, made several key remarks during an interview with Fox News. He firmly ruled out sending American troops to help enforce any future peace deal, saying the security structure of such an agreement is still under discussion between the US, Europe, and Ukraine.
In the same interview, Trump sparked controversy by appearing to place some responsibility for the war on Ukraine. “You don’t challenge a country that’s ten times bigger than you,” he said, despite Russia initiating the invasion in February 2022.
Trump also noted that some European leaders raised concerns over whether US support for Ukraine would continue beyond his presidency. He acknowledged that any deterrence against Putin may depend on who occupies the Oval Office in the future.
While he expressed frustration over the pace of negotiations referencing a European leader’s suggestion to meet again in “a month or two Trump reiterated his push for faster resolution. He also revealed that although he and Putin had a recent summit, he chose not to speak to him during the group meeting with European leaders “out of respect for the Russian leader.
Trump added that he had “sort of” arranged the meeting between Putin and Zelensky but made it clear that “they’re the ones that have to make the decisions.” According to Leavitt, Putin assured Trump that he is ready for a direct meeting with Zelensky, though Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has yet to confirm any formal plans.
