"Trump expresses optimism for an agreement concerning Ukraine, according to his statements, which suggest Putin's apparent frustration"
President Trump Proposes Meeting Between Putin and Zelensky to End Ukraine Conflict
In a recent interview on Fox & Friends program on Fox News on August 19, 2025, President Donald Trump expressed his intention to arrange a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The proposal follows Trump's historic White House Peace Summit with Putin on August 15, 2025, where he met with Zelensky and European leaders, expressing optimism about the prospects of peace and stating that he was beginning to set up a bilateral meeting between Putin and Zelensky[1][2].
Initially, Trump considered a trilateral summit involving himself, Putin, and Zelensky. However, due to areas of disagreement between Russia and Ukraine, particularly concerning territorial issues such as Donbas, he later shifted to promoting a direct meeting between the two leaders. The White House press secretary indicated that a bilateral meeting would need to precede any trilateral discussions[1].
Moscow has been cautious and has not confirmed Putin's participation in such talks, insisting on involvement in any security guarantee discussions. Zelensky has maintained a firm stance opposing territorial concessions to Russia, highlighting Ukraine’s constitutional limits and sovereignty as key issues[1].
Trump believes that Putin might be tired of the conflict and expressed hope that the Russian President would agree to cease hostilities in Ukraine. He also suggested that President Zelensky should show flexibility in the situation. The U.S. side is currently working to organize the meeting between Putin and Zelensky[1].
Switzerland has promised not to arrest Putin if he attends talks with Zelensky, adding to the potential for a successful negotiation. However, as of late August, Russia’s response remains noncommittal, complicating the path forward[1][2][3].
Trump maintains "very good relations" with Putin and considers it disrespectful to behave that way given the strained relations between Putin and European leaders. He believes that the relationship between Putin and Zelensky could be improved[2].
References: [1] Associated Press. (2025, August 20). Trump pushes for Putin-Zelensky meeting to end Ukraine conflict. The Washington Post. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/trump-pushes-for-putin-zelensky-meeting-to-end-ukraine-conflict/2025/08/20/13c45410-4b83-11ed-969f-2a96b13f4968_story.html [2] Reuters. (2025, August 19). Trump hopes Putin will agree to cease hostilities in Ukraine, arranges meeting with Zelensky. CNBC. Retrieved from https://www.cnbc.com/2025/08/19/trump-hopes-putin-will-agree-to-cease-hostilities-in-ukraine-arranges-meeting-with-zelensky.html [3] CNN. (2025, August 20). Trump's push for Putin-Zelensky meeting complicates Ukraine peace efforts. CNN Politics. Retrieved from https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/trump-putin-ukraine-peace-talks/index.html
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