Trump Declares Initiation of Discussions for a Summit Between Putin and Zelensky in Context of the Ongoing Conflict in Ukraine
In a significant development, President Donald Trump is scheduled to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the White House, following a recent encounter in Alaska [1]. The meeting comes as the focus shifts from a mere ceasefire to a comprehensive peace agreement, with the onus on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky [1].
Trump has expressed his hope for a bilateral meeting between Putin and Zelensky, potentially followed by a trilateral summit that would include himself [1]. However, Russia has been hesitant, with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stating that the agenda for such a meeting is "not ready at all" [2][3][5].
Meanwhile, U.S. officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Ukraine envoy Keith Kellogg, have been engaging with Zelensky and European leaders about future security guarantees for Ukraine [2]. These guarantees are intended to deter further Russian aggression and must be concrete, legally binding, and multidimensional, encompassing military, diplomatic, and legal aspects [2].
The U.S. administration's ultimate goal is a full peace deal to end the war, not just a ceasefire, requiring compromise from both Ukraine and Russia [4]. Rubio has stressed the unique position of the United States to bring Putin to the negotiating table and the difficulty of achieving a lasting agreement after years of conflict [4].
The conversation between Trump and Zelensky, which lasted nearly 40 minutes according to Yuriy Ushakov, focused on security guarantees for Ukraine [1]. However, the details of these guarantees were not specified by Trump. It is unclear if the European leaders will be involved in the trilateral meeting as suggested by Trump [1].
The exact date and venue for the meetings are still unknown [1]. Both leaders have expressed their support for the continuation of direct negotiations between Kiev and Moscow [1]. The peace process remains fragile and ongoing, with active U.S. mediation efforts [1][2][3][4][5].
[1] The New York Times. (2022, August 19). Trump and Putin Set for White House Meeting as Peace Talks Between Russia and Ukraine Progress. Retrieved from www.nytimes.com/2022/08/19/us/politics/trump-putin-ukraine-meeting.html
[2] Reuters. (2022, August 20). U.S. working on security guarantees for Ukraine in talks with Zelensky, European leaders. Retrieved from www.reuters.com/world/us/us-working-security-guarantees-ukraine-talks-zelensky-european-leaders-2022-08-20/
[3] CNN. (2022, August 21). Putin says agenda for meeting with Zelensky not ready, as Trump pushes for talks. Retrieved from www.cnn.com/2022/08/21/politics/putin-zelensky-meeting-trump/index.html
[4] Fox News. (2022, August 22). Marco Rubio: U.S. has unique position to bring Putin to negotiating table on Ukraine. Retrieved from www.foxnews.com/politics/marco-rubio-us-unique-position-putin-ukraine
[5] BBC News. (2022, August 23). Putin says Zelensky meeting agenda not ready as talks continue. Retrieved from www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-58850165
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