Trump says trilateral summit with Putin and Zelenskyy could follow White House talks

President Donald Trump said he spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin after hosting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders at the White House, and that the discussions could lead to a trilateral summit involving himself, Putin, and Zelenskyy.

The meeting, which included leaders from France, Finland, Italy, the United Kingdom, Germany, the European Commission, and NATO, focused on how European countries, in coordination with the United States, could provide long-term security guarantees to Ukraine, according to President Trump.

Trump said that following the White House talks, he spoke by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin to begin arranging a meeting between Putin and Zelenskyy at a location yet to be determined.

Trump added that if that meeting takes place, a subsequent trilateral summit involving himself and the two presidents would follow.

According to AFP, citing a person familiar with the call said Putin expressed to Trump that he was willing to meet Zelenskyy.

Trump and Putin “spoke in favor of continuing direct talks” between Russia and Ukraine and discussed the idea of raising the level of those talks, Russia’s TASS news agency reported.

Zelenskyy, in a post before the meeting, said Ukraine seeks a “reliable and lasting peace” but added that pressure on Russia must remain strong.

“We understand that we shouldn’t expect Putin to voluntarily abandon aggression and new attempts at conquest,” Zelenskyy said. “That is why pressure must work, and it must be joint pressure – from the United States and Europe, and from everyone in the world who respects the right to life and the international order.”