Trump discussed conditions for a meeting with Putin and Zelensky

• Trump stated that a meeting with Putin could only happen after a meeting with Zelensky.
• The Kremlin is currently not ready to include Zelensky in the negotiations.
• Zelensky believes it is important to meet with Putin to achieve peace.

This was reported by Interfax Ukraine, RBC Ukraine.

President of the USA Donald Trump stated that a meeting with Russian leader Vladimir Putin would only take place if he first meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. This was reported by the New York Post, citing a representative of the House of Representatives.

According to a source, "Putin must meet with Zelensky so that the meeting [with Trump] can take place. The location of the meeting has not yet been determined."

Earlier, Moscow reported that an agreement had been reached "in principle" between Moscow and Washington for a personal meeting between Putin and Trump. Putin's aide Yuri Ushakov stated that "an agreement was reached in principle" for a bilateral meeting in the coming days, including a meeting between Presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump.

However, the White House did not confirm this bilateral meeting, and it was not mentioned during the press conference, where the possibility of a trilateral meeting involving the presidents of the USA, Russia, and Ukraine was discussed.

The Kremlin is likely continuing to operate under the idea of including Zelensky in this meeting. Ushakov noted that "the first step is to prepare for a bilateral meeting with Trump."

In response to journalists' questions, Trump downplayed the notion that Putin must meet with Zelensky before meeting with him. "No," was Trump's brief reply.

Meanwhile, Zelensky has expressed readiness to meet with Putin, believing that such a meeting could contribute to achieving peace, especially since only the Kremlin leader makes real decisions in Russia. However, as reported on August 7, Putin did not rule out the possibility of negotiations with Zelensky, stating that the starting point must be certain conditions that are still far off.

Tags: Ukraine/USA/Russia/Politics