Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called for a trilateral summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump to discuss ending the war.
According to AFP Yonhap News on May 28 (local time), President Zelensky made this proposal through the media, stating, "If Putin is uncomfortable with a bilateral meeting or if everyone wants a trilateral meeting, I don't mind."
Prior to the face-to-face negotiations between Ukraine and Russia held in Istanbul, T?rkiye on May 16, President Zelensky had also proposed a trilateral summit, saying, "I will wait for Putin in T?rkiye," and "I hope President Trump will join us in T?rkiye." However, the meeting did not materialize.
President Putin is skeptical about direct talks with President Zelensky, citing two reasons: Ukraine has enacted a law prohibiting negotiations with him, and Zelensky's term ended in May of last year, so he is not considered legitimate.
President Zelensky said that Russia had proposed Belarus as an additional negotiation venue, but that this was impossible from Ukraine's perspective. He argued that T?rkiye, Switzerland, and the Vatican are realistic options. He also added that the Mediterranean island nation of Malta and several African countries have offered to host the talks.
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