Quick End to the War Now Uncertain
"Considerable Animosity" Between the Two Leaders
Russia: "No Plans for Summit...There Must Be an Agenda"
On August 25 (local time), U.S. President Donald Trump, who had previously been optimistic about a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, appeared to lower expectations by saying, "I don't know if they (the two leaders) will meet."
President Trump made these remarks in response to a related question from reporters after a summit with President Lee Jaemyung at the White House that day, saying, "The two leaders may meet, or they may not."
He emphasized, "As the saying goes, it takes two hands to clap, and I have always said that they need to meet. Before meeting with me, and perhaps before reaching an agreement, I believe they should meet."
President Trump also pointed out that the deepening rift between President Putin and President Zelensky is an obstacle to the summit. He said, "It's hard to say that the two of them get along well. There seems to be a considerable amount of animosity between the two men. That needs to be resolved," adding, "But first, I want to see them meet."
Regarding the possibility of a U.S.-Russia-Ukraine trilateral summit, he said, "If I participate, they would like it," and added, "I may participate, or I may not. We'll have to see, but I hope the two of them resolve their differences first. After all, this is a matter between the two of them."
He continued, "In the next week or two, we'll see what happens, and at that point, I will intervene very strongly," adding, "If I need to be there, I will be there, but either an agreement will be reached or it won't."
Previously, after holding a summit with President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on the 15th, President Trump had indicated that a bilateral meeting between President Putin and President Volodymyr Zelensky could take place within two weeks.
Three days later, at the White House, President Zelensky and leaders of major European countries gathered to actively discuss postwar security guarantees for Ukraine. At this meeting, President Trump revealed that he was coordinating the schedule for a Russia-Ukraine summit through a phone call with President Putin.
In Russia's case, the possibility of a summit between the two leaders is being dismissed, as Russia has once again raised conditions for an agreement that would be difficult for Ukraine to accept, such as territorial concessions. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, a veteran diplomat, said on August 24 that there are no plans for President Putin and President Zelensky to meet. Minister Lavrov stated, "President Putin is ready to meet with President Zelensky if an agenda for the summit is prepared, but such an agenda is not being prepared at all," insisting, "There must be an agenda before holding a summit."
Meanwhile, according to AP and Reuters, President Zelensky said that high-level officials from the U.S. and Ukrainian governments are scheduled to meet this week to discuss the possibility of direct negotiations with Russia.
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