Trump open to meeting Putin despite no talks with Zelenskyy: ‘I’ll do whatever I can to stop the killing’

A White House official had earlier told AP the meeting would not go ahead without a Putin-Zelenskyy encounter, but later clarified that such a condition would only make the summit less likely.

AP reported that while US officials floated the idea of a three-way summit including Zelenskyy, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov dismissed it, saying talks should focus on “preparing a bilateral meeting with Trump” and that the Ukraine element “was not specifically discussed.”

Putin said he was not opposed in principle to meeting Zelenskyy but claimed “certain conditions need to be created” before such talks could take place, as per AP.

Ukraine and Europe fear being sidelined

Kyiv has long warned against any peace negotiations that exclude Ukraine.

Zelenskyy said Thursday, according to The Guardian, he spoke with several European leaders, including German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron, to ensure a “common European vision” on security matters. “Ukraine is not afraid of meetings and expects the same bold approach from the Russian side. It is time to end the war,” Zelenskyy posted on social media, mentioning that any settlement must include a ceasefire and long-term security guarantees.

European governments have pledged to back Ukraine for as long as necessary, but Moscow has favoured what it calls “great powers summit,” potentially sidelining other nation states.

War toll and stalled peace efforts

The potential summit would be the first between US and Russian leaders since Joe Biden met Putin in Geneva in 2021. It comes against the backdrop of a war that has killed tens of thousands of troops on both sides and more than 12,000 Ukrainian civilians, according to UN estimates cited by AP.

Western officials accuse Moscow of using drawn-out negotiations to consolidate gains on the battlefield. Putin has offered no major concessions.

A new Gallup poll released Thursday found that about seven in ten Ukrainians now favour seeking a negotiated settlement as soon as possible, a sharp reversal from 2022, when roughly three-quarters wanted to keep fighting until victory.

(With inputs from AP, The Guardian)

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