WASHINGTON
US President Donald Trump said Tuesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy are in the process of arranging a bilateral meeting. He emphasized that he wants to observe how the two leaders handle their talks before stepping in personally.
Speaking in a phone interview on “The Mark Levin Show,” Trump explained that he believed it would be best for Putin and Zelenskyy to meet without him first. “I thought it would be better if they met without me, just to see. I want to see what goes on,” he said. “They had a very bad relationship. Now we’ll see how they do and, if necessary, I’ll step in and probably get it closed.”
He repeated that his immediate focus was to watch the outcome of their direct talks. “They’re in the process of setting it up, and we’re going to see what happens,” he added.
On Monday, Trump hosted Zelenskyy along with European and NATO leaders at the White House. The discussions centered on possible diplomatic steps to end the Russia-Ukraine war.
After the White House meeting, Trump also spoke by phone with Putin. He later wrote on his Truth Social platform that he had begun preparations for a meeting between Putin and Zelenskyy. The location, he noted, will be determined soon.
Trump added that after the bilateral talks, he plans to hold a “Trilat” involving himself and the two presidents to push negotiations forward.
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