Zelenskyy and Trump meeting tentatively agreed: Ukraine presents new peace ideas
Photo: US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (Getty Images)
A personal meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and US President Donald Trump has been tentatively agreed for September. At the same time, Ukraine and the United States are discussing new ideas and approaches to ending the war, Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi said during a briefing.
According to Tykhyi, contacts between Zelenskyy and Trump include a face-to-face meeting this month. It has already been tentatively agreed.
At the same time, a phone call between the presidents is not ruled out if the situation requires it. The Foreign Ministry spokesperson explained that the peace process has intensified, meaning the need for additional contacts could arise at any moment.
"There are efforts by President Trump's envoys to find common ground. They have visited Moscow and Kyiv, and we understand that an active process is indeed underway," Tykhyi said.
New peace ideas
Tykhyi also confirmed that Ukraine is aware of new ideas, approaches and elements currently being discussed as part of the diplomatic process.
However, Kyiv does not plan to publicly disclose their details.
According to the Foreign Ministry spokesperson, negotiations should leave the parties some room for diplomatic work. That is why details of the new proposals have not yet been made public.
Tykhyi also emphasized that Ukraine is not the only side with new ideas. The US also has its own proposals.
"We have new ideas, of course, and the Americans have new ideas as well, and the reality has indeed changed," he said.
The Foreign Ministry spokesperson explained that the situation has changed since previous versions of potential peace plans were discussed. This concerns both developments on the battlefield and the situation in the airspace over Ukraine and Russia.
"Since then, the reality has changed. It has changed on the battlefield, it has changed in the skies over Ukraine and Russia, so in our view, some updating of the approaches is needed," Tykhyi said.
According to him, it is important that the need for such an update is recognized not only by Ukraine. The US side also shares this view.
At the same time, the Foreign Ministry spokesperson did not specify what exactly has changed.
Ukraine is ready for trilateral talks
Tykhyi also mentioned a return to a trilateral negotiating format involving Ukraine, the US and Russia as another possible step.
"We are also ready to resume the trilateral format of work, and in our view, a meeting between the leaders remains the most effective format in this regard," the spokesperson said.
However, Ukraine does not yet know whether Russia is ready to return to such a format. According to Tykhyi, Moscow’s position could determine the next steps in the diplomatic process.
"Let me remind you that it depends on them whether the diplomatic process will move forward. Ukraine is ready for it," he concluded.
Over the weekend, US presidential special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner visited Moscow and Kyiv.
Following the meetings, the US side said there had been "substantive progress." In particular, this included an agreement on a schedule for additional trilateral talks.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy proposed the UN General Assembly in New York as a possible venue for new talks involving the United States.
At the same time, Kyiv has not ruled out another trilateral round involving Russia, although no final decision has been made yet.
