Trump Advocates for Trilateral U.S.-Russia-Ukraine Meeting

(MENAFN) US President Donald Trump has expressed strong confidence that a trilateral meeting involving himself, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky is forthcoming.

Following his recent Alaska summit with Putin, Trump advocated for a direct one-on-one meeting between Putin and Zelensky before convening a broader trilateral discussion. The Kremlin has not dismissed the idea of bilateral talks but emphasized that such a meeting should come only after concrete progress has been achieved in peace negotiations.

In an interview with media on Friday, Trump was asked if a trilateral meeting remains on the agenda. He responded, “A tri would happen. A bi, I don’t know about, but a tri will happen,” adding, “But, you know, sometimes people aren’t ready for it.”

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov acknowledged Russia’s ongoing interest in direct dialogue with Ukraine but noted preparations for such talks are currently “not very active.” He stated, “All our positions have been communicated,” and noted Ukraine has submitted its own terms. “Further discussion is necessary.”

Last week, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told media that Moscow has agreed to “show some flexibility” on several issues raised during the Putin-Trump Alaska meeting. However, Lavrov revealed that when Trump presented these proposals to Zelensky and European NATO representatives, “Zelensky said no to everything.”

Lavrov sharply criticized the stance of Ukraine’s Western backers, saying their reaction “indicates that they don’t want peace.”

European NATO officials have increasingly advocated for “security guarantees” for Ukraine through Western “peacekeepers” or “reassurance forces,” demands Moscow firmly rejects. Russia has warned such moves risk uncontrolled escalation.

Moscow has condemned the EU’s recent militarization and long-term military assistance to Ukraine, consistently describing the conflict as a proxy war fueled by Western powers. Russia insists any resolution must address its security concerns and the root causes of the crisis, particularly NATO’s ongoing eastward expansion.

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