Trump hints at stepping in for potential Putin-Zelenskyy meeting
Donald Trump, President of the US (photo: Getty Images)
US President Donald Trump did not rule out a meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin but said arranging it would be difficult, reports Fox News.
The White House chief noted that he has stopped seven wars and would like to end the conflict between Ukraine and Russia. He added that he initially thought it would be easy, but it has proven to be challenging.
“The hatred between Zelenskyy and Putin is unbearable. They hate each other. I think they’ll have to talk to me. We’re gonna get it worked out one way or another. They hate each other so much, they can’t breathe. So I’m gonna have to get intervene,” Trump said.
The president also anticipates negotiations between Ukraine and Russia, but did not specify whether they would take place in a bilateral or trilateral format.
“There will be talks, whether you call it a summit or just....I'll get together. It doesn't matter. But, I probably have to get involved. They hate each other so much, they can almost talk. They're not capable of talking to each other,” Trump added.
Zelenskyy-Putin summit
Following two rounds of talks in Istanbul, Ukrainian and Russian delegations expressed their intention to organize a meeting between Zelenskyy and Putin to unblock the peace process.
In early September, Putin stated he was willing to meet the Ukrainian leader but emphasized that Zelenskyy must travel to Moscow and be ready for negotiations.
The Ukrainian president responded skeptically to this proposal.
Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs described Putin’s offer as unserious and unacceptable.
Meanwhile, media outlets have suggested that Trump could meet with Putin in Malaysia on the sidelines of the 47th ASEAN Summit.
