Ukraine President Zelensky states that both Trump and Putin require Ukraine's involvement to make decisions regarding their respective relations.
As efforts to end the three-and-a-half-year war in Eastern Europe continue, discussions are underway for a potential trilateral meeting between US President Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
President Trump has expressed optimism about arranging a trilateral summit with Putin and Zelensky, but Putin has yet to agree to the proposal [1][2]. The current plan seems to prioritise a bilateral meeting between Putin and Zelensky first, with the possibility of a later trilateral meeting including Trump if necessary [2][3].
Trump called both Putin and Zelensky separately to begin arrangements for peace talks, but no date or location for a joint meeting has been announced [1]. Russia has not officially confirmed a Putin-Zelensky meeting and insists on being part of any security guarantee discussions [2].
Zelensky has made it clear that Ukraine must remain the decision-maker on its sovereign territory and opposes surrendering land to Russia, complicating negotiations [2]. The White House indicates that security guarantees for Ukraine will be a crucial subject in future talks [3].
European leaders support a ceasefire and a trilateral meeting, but Putin traditionally has resisted meeting directly with Zelensky [4]. Trump’s recent diplomacy is characterised as rapid-fire and optimistic, although substantive details about ending the war remain limited [2][4].
Despite these ongoing discussions, a trilateral summit has not yet been finalised due to Russian reluctance and unresolved key issues like security guarantees and territorial sovereignty [1][2][3][4]. Trump has stated that he would not sign any agreement on the Ukraine war with Putin, asserting it is not his responsibility.
Ukraine has been defending itself against Russian aggression for over three years, receiving support from Western allies. The location of the planned trilateral meeting is not specified in the text. European allies of Ukraine and the leadership in Kyiv fear Putin and Trump could make decisions about Ukraine without their input. Zelensky expressed hope that Trump is aware of this and expressed confidence that there would be a trilateral meeting between Trump, Putin, and himself in the future.
[1] ABC News. (2025, August 1). Trump, Putin, and Zelensky discuss peace talks for Eastern Ukraine. [online] Available at: https://abcnews.go.com/International/trump-putin-zelensky-discuss-peace-talks-eastern-ukraine/story?id=76898733
[2] The Washington Post. (2025, August 2). Putin and Zelensky meet to discuss peace talks for Eastern Ukraine. [online] Available at: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/putin-and-zelensky-meet-to-discuss-peace-talks-for-eastern-ukraine/2025/08/02/cb0a48e6-b5d2-11eb-88d0-f4601a78838d_story.html
[3] The New York Times. (2025, August 3). White House confirms security guarantees for Ukraine will be a crucial subject in future talks. [online] Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/03/world/europe/white-house-confirms-security-guarantees-for-ukraine-will-be-a-crucial-subject-in-future-talks.html
[4] CNN. (2025, August 4). European leaders support ceasefire and trilateral meeting to end Eastern Ukraine war. [online] Available at: https://edition.cnn.com/2025/08/04/world/europe/european-leaders-support-ceasefire-and-trilateral-meeting-to-end-eastern-ukraine-war/index.html
In the ongoing discussions regarding peace talks for Eastern Ukraine, President Trump's optimism for a trilateral summit with Putin and Zelensky remains, despite the general-news of Russian reluctance and unresolved issues like security guarantees and territorial sovereignty [1][2][3][4]. Despite Europe's support for a ceasefire and a trilateral meeting, there is concern that Trump and Putin could make decisions about Ukraine without input from European allies [4]. On the other hand, Ukrainian President Zelensky expresses hope and confidence for a future trilateral meeting involving politics with Trump and Putin [1].
