US President Donald Trump said Thursday he is ready to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin even if the Kremlin leader refuses to sit down with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy — a position that could open the door to a rare US-Russia summit.
Asked whether Putin would need to meet with Zelenskyy first to secure talks with the United States, Trump cut in: “No, he doesn’t. No.”
Trump’s comments came hours after Putin said he hoped to meet Trump next week, possibly in the United Arab Emirates. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said details were still being worked out. A US official initially suggested the summit would not happen without a Putin-Zelenskyy meeting, but later softened that stance, saying it would only make talks “less likely.”
The potential meeting comes as a White House deadline looms for Moscow to show progress in ending the three-year-old war in Ukraine or face new sanctions. “It’s going to be up to him. We’re going to see what he has to say,” Trump said of Putin. “Very disappointed.” He added, “I don’t like long waits. I think it’s a shame.”
Putin said he was not against meeting Zelenskyy “in principle” but insisted “certain conditions need to be created” first. The Kremlin has long maintained such talks should only happen if an agreement between the two sides is near.
Ukraine fears being sidelined if Washington and Moscow talk directly. Zelenskyy held calls with European leaders Thursday to shore up support, as Western nations reaffirmed their pledge to back Kyiv “for as long as it takes.”
Putin’s foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov played down the idea of a three-way meeting, saying Russia’s priority was to prepare a “successful and productive” bilateral summit with Trump. Russian officials hinted the talks could also touch on joint economic projects, including rare earth investments.
If it happens, the meeting would be the first US-Russia summit since 2021, when then-President Joe Biden met Putin in Geneva. It could mark a turning point in Trump’s push to end the war, though both Moscow and Kyiv remain far apart on peace terms.
– Ends
With inputs from Associated Press
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