Putin Proposes a Dialogue Between Zelensky and Himself in Moscow
In the heart of a tense geopolitical landscape, Ukraine finds itself at a critical juncture, as international powers scramble to broker peace between the warring nations.
Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, a suggestion made during a phone call with US President Donald Trump on Monday. According to reports from Politico, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov suggested that any meeting would have to be planned "step by step, gradually, starting from the expert level and then going through all the necessary stages."
The proposed location for these talks has been a topic of discussion among several countries. Switzerland, with Geneva as a potential venue, has been suggested by French President Emmanuel Macron and has been endorsed by Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis, who stated that Switzerland is "more than ready" to host the trilateral talks.
However, the location of the summit remains uncertain, with no formal offers specifically in Switzerland confirmed so far. Other proposed locations include Rome/Vatican (Italy), Geneva (Switzerland), Budapest (Hungary), and Helsinki (Finland). Hungary has explicitly expressed readiness to host the talks, but no formal offers have been confirmed yet.
The International Criminal Court (ICC), to which Switzerland is a signatory, issued an arrest warrant for Putin in March 2023, accusing him of unlawfully deporting and transferring thousands of Ukrainian children to Russia. This action is considered a war crime under international law.
The prospect of Putin attending peace talks in a neutral country has been met with mixed reactions. While German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Trump believe the meeting should happen within the next two weeks, Merz expressed doubts about whether Putin would show up for the meeting. President Zelensky, along with several other European leaders, reportedly declined the offer to meet in Moscow, as suggested by Putin during the call with Trump.
The allies of Ukraine seem to have different expectations regarding the Putin and Zelensky meeting. The Netherlands is deploying 2 of its 3 Patriot batteries to Poland, a move indicating a continued commitment to Ukraine's defence.
As the world watches, the stage is set for a potentially historic meeting. The question remains: will Putin and Zelensky find common ground and bring an end to the conflict, or will the tensions continue to escalate? Only time will tell.
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