Trump willing to meet Putin and Zelensky, White House confirms
The White House confirmed that United States President Donald Trump is open to holding talks with both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, according to Arab News via AFP on August 6th.Â
A senior Ukrainian official stated that the potential summit was discussed during a recent call involving Trump, Zelensky, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, and the leaders of Britain, Germany, and Finland.Â
On August 7th, Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff held talks with Putin in Moscow, which Trump later characterised as a “highly productive” meeting.
Should the talks move forward, sources indicate they may take place as soon as August 11th.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said, “The Russians expressed their desire to meet with President Trump, and the president is open to meeting with both President Putin and President Zelensky.”
Trump is expected to meet with Putin first, and then possibly hold talks with Zelensky. However, NATO and Ukrainian officials have not verified these plans.
These diplomatic developments come as the United States continues to exert pressure on Moscow. Trump previously warned that sanctions would remain in place and that new penalties would be imposed on Russia’s trading partners if progress toward peace is not made. He has reportedly given Russia a 50-day deadline to advance negotiations or face additional economic consequences.
Trump, who has often stated he could resolve the conflict within 24 hours of taking office, is said to be growing increasingly frustrated with the stalled peace efforts.
In June, Russia presented Ukraine with a controversial list of demands, including surrendering additional territory and rejecting all forms of Western military support—terms Ukraine firmly rejected.
In response to escalating Russian aerial attacks, Trump has pledged to boost military assistance to Ukraine in coordination with NATO allies. As part of this effort, NATO and the United States have launched a new joint funding plan to streamline military aid and strengthen their long-term commitment to Ukraine’s defence.
Arab News via AFP, Maghrebi.org
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