Europe alarmed over Trump’s soft stance on Putin
Photo: US President Donald Trump and Russia's Vladimir Putin (GettyImages)
Europe is concerned that US President Donald Trump is preparing to meet with Russia's Vladimir Putin and has not yet put any pressure on the Kremlin leader, according to The Washington Post.
"For all the bluster, Trump has not put a single iota of pressure on Putin — yet. Zero, zip," says a senior European official.
At the same time, the Ukrainian official notes that he is trying to remain optimistic amid signs of a possible partial ceasefire, which could stop the airstrikes.
"In general, we all understand that finishing the war is fully in Trump’s hands," he says.
At the same time, he warned that such an agreement could be just a tactic by the Kremlin to appease Trump and give him a political victory ahead of the midterm elections in the US.
"We hear signals from all of the back channels that [Russia is] looking to settle. However, the trust is fully broken between sides," the official adds.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that Moscow's proposal contains specific conditions for ending the war, but they may be unacceptable to Ukraine and its partners.
The European Union also expresses doubts about the Kremlin's intentions.
"It is very clear that Russia is not interested in any peace as such because we have seen it in their actions not in their words," said EU foreign affairs spokesperson Anitta Hipper.
The agency writes that earlier, Putin's aide Yuri Ushakov said that Putin rejected US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff's proposal to hold a trilateral summit with Trump, Putin, and Zelenskyy.
According to Ushakov, Witkoff voiced this idea during a meeting with Putin on August 6, but the Russian side did not comment on this option.
Trump and Putin meeting
An unnamed White House official told Politico that Trump will only meet with Putin after he meets with Zelenskyy.
He clarified that a three-way summit between Trump, Zelenskyy, and Putin is only possible after bilateral meetings.
At the same time, the Ukrainian President has repeatedly stated that he is ready to meet with Putin. According to him, such a meeting could bring peace closer, since only the Kremlin leader makes decisions in Russia.
However, yesterday, Trump said that Putin does not need to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to meet with him.
The Washington Post wrote that Trump may hold separate meetings with Putin and Zelenskyy before a possible trilateral summit.
