Putin hopes to meet with Zelensky one-on-one. Trump insists the meeting needs to involve him
Trump wants to join Zelensky-Putin peace meeting
- Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed a desire for a bilateral meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to discuss peace.
- Donald Trump, following a summit in Alaska and a White House meeting, asserted his wish to be involved in any peace talks between Putin and Zelensky.
- Despite Putin's initial preference for a one-on-one meeting, Trump pushed for a trilateral format, with his team now reportedly working on arrangements.
- German Chancellor Friedrich Merz indicated that Putin agreed to meet Zelensky within two weeks after a call with Trump, though a date is yet to be set.
- Both Zelensky and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov have since expressed openness to a trilateral meeting, with Zelensky hailing recent progress as significant.