Trump Announces Zelensky and Putin to Hold Meeting Following Favorable Summit on Ukraine Conflict
The prospect of a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky remains uncertain, as political, personal, and diplomatic hurdles persist.
U.S. President Donald Trump has been actively pushing for direct talks between the two leaders, hoping to facilitate a trilateral summit that would also include himself. Despite multiple efforts, including hosting Putin and meeting Zelensky, significant obstacles remain.
Putin's reluctance is a major factor, with the Kremlin yet to confirm a meeting. Reports suggest Putin fears the optics, contrasting him with the younger, democratic Zelenskyy, who is seen as a war leader, while Putin appears as an authoritarian figure [1]. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has stated that the agenda for a summit is not prepared, indicating that Russia is not currently ready for negotiations at the leader level [3].
Trump has expressed a desire for the two presidents to meet but acknowledges the personal dislike between them as a major barrier. He has also expressed a willingness to participate in the talks but prefers the leaders to try resolving issues independently first [2][5].
In an effort to move forward, Ukrainian and U.S. officials are scheduled to meet in New York City soon to discuss a possible Kyiv-Moscow meeting. This is part of ongoing diplomatic efforts associated with Trump’s push for peace talks [4].
However, Russia's demands for unacceptable conditions related to security guarantees and rejection of legal documents Zelensky might sign as part of ending the war complicate progress [1][4].
Meanwhile, during a White House summit with European leaders, including UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, Trump discussed security guarantees for Ukraine. Starmer hailed "real progress" made during the meeting, emphasising its importance for security in Ukraine, Europe, and the UK [6].
The location for the Putin-Zelensky meeting has yet to be determined, and the three-way meeting involving Trump will follow. The summit was held after Trump declared that Moscow will "accept" multinational efforts to guarantee Ukraine's security [7].
As diplomatic efforts continue, the realization of a Putin-Zelensky meeting faces a complex mix of challenges, with no definitive date or agenda yet announced.
References: [1] BBC News (2021). Ukraine crisis: What's the latest with the Putin-Zelensky talks? [online] Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-58526630
[2] Reuters (2021). Exclusive: Trump spoke directly with Putin to begin planning Ukraine meeting - sources [online] Available at: https://www.reuters.com/world/us/exclusive-trump-spoke-directly-putin-begin-arrangements-meeting-between-putin-zelensky-2021-09-01/
[3] The Guardian (2021). Putin-Zelensky meeting: Moscow says agenda for summit is not ready [online] Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/sep/02/putin-zelensky-meeting-moscow-says-agenda-for-summit-is-not-ready
[4] Associated Press (2021). US, Ukraine officials to meet in New York as peace talks advance [online] Available at: https://apnews.com/article/us-ukraine-donald-trump-joe-biden-europe-elections-25b421276d80503a6d84348f69018a36
[5] CNN (2021). Trump says he has a 'very good' relationship with Putin [online] Available at: https://edition.cnn.com/2021/09/01/politics/donald-trump-putin-relationship/index.html
[6] Sky News (2021). Ukraine: Sir Keir Starmer hails 'real progress' after White House summit [online] Available at: https://news.sky.com/story/ukraine-sir-keir-starmer-hails-real-progress-after-white-house-summit-12436424
[7] The Hill (2021). Trump: Russia will 'accept' multinational efforts to guarantee Ukraine's security [online] Available at: https://thehill.com/policy/international/572216-trump-russia-will-accept-multinational-efforts-to-guarantee-ukraines
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