Finland’s president doubts Zelenskyy-Putin meeting anytime soon
Photo: Finnish President Alexander Stubb (Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
A meeting between the leaders of Ukraine and Russia is unlikely to take place in the near future. US President Donald Trump may lose patience if Russia drags out the war, according to Finnish President Alexander Stubb.
According to the Finnish President, US leader Donald Trump may lose patience with Putin, in which case he will either put pressure on Putin or impose sanctions.
Stubb said that he spoke with Trump on the evening of Thursday, August 21, and received signs that Trump's patience was running out. He recalled that Putin sat down at the negotiating table in Alaska only after Trump announced that he would impose tariffs on India.
According to Stubb, two things could put an end to Trump's patience. The first is when Russia uses its typical delaying tactics. The second is Russia's constant attacks on civilian targets.
The Finnish President considers it very unlikely that Putin and Zelenskyy will meet in a week and a half. In his opinion, Trump's patience may run out after that.
He says that there was only one person who could force Putin to make peace, and that was President Trump, adding that Trump was the only person Putin listened to and, frankly, the only person Putin feared.
Meeting between Zelenskyy and Putin
On August 15, Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin met in Alaska. And on August 18, Trump met with Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders at the White House.
After the talks, the US President called Putin to arrange a meeting with Zelenskyy. Russia insisted on a bilateral meeting, followed by trilateral talks with Trump.
Switzerland announced its readiness to host the summit. Austria also announced that it was ready to host a meeting between Zelenskyy and Putin.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz also doubts that Putin will dare to meet with Zelenskyy.
