Trump suggests second meeting involving Putin, Zelensky
(MENAFN) US President Donald Trump has floated the idea of a “quick” second meeting after the planned Alaska summit, one that would bring together Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky, with Trump offering to attend if desired.
Speaking at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC on Wednesday, Trump told reporters that before the Friday summit with Putin in Alaska, he was “going to find out where we are and what we’re doing.” He added, “If the meeting goes okay, we’ll have a quick second one – I would like to do it almost immediately.” The US leader suggested the follow-up could include Putin, Zelensky, and himself, “if they’d like to have me there.”
Russian officials have repeatedly said they are open to a peaceful settlement of the conflict, but insist any agreement must address the root causes and acknowledge the current realities, including the status of former Ukrainian territories incorporated into Russia after referendums.
Zelensky, who earlier labeled the Alaska summit a “personal victory” for Putin, traveled to Berlin on Wednesday to join German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in a virtual meeting with European leaders and Trump. Moscow has accused Zelensky of refusing to face reality and unnecessarily prolonging a war he cannot win.
Putin has stated he has “nothing in principle” against meeting with Zelensky, but believes “certain conditions must be created” first. He has also questioned Zelensky’s legitimacy to sign binding agreements, arguing that the Ukrainian leader’s term expired last year and he declined to hold new elections under martial law — a stance that has led Moscow to brand him “illegitimate.”
Russian representatives say the upcoming Trump-Putin discussions present an opportunity to repair tense US-Russia ties and address longstanding disputes between the two nations.
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