Trump decides to step back from Russia-Ukraine peace talks – The Guardian
US President Donald Trump has told his top advisers that a trilateral meeting with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will take place only after the leaders of the two warring countries first meet one-on-one.
Trump administration officials told The Guardian about this, Censor.NET reports.
It was noted that Trump intends to leave it to Russia and Ukraine to organize a meeting between their leaders without his direct involvement for now, stepping back from negotiations aimed at ending Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
In recent days, Trump told advisers he would hold a trilateral meeting with the two leaders only after they first sit down together, though it remains unclear whether such an initial meeting will happen. Trump reportedly does not intend to participate in efforts to organize it.
In an interview with WABC on Tuesday, Trump also said he believes Putin and Zelenskyy should meet without him first: "I just want to see what happens at the meeting. They’re organizing it now, and we’ll see what happens."
A senior Trump administration official described the situation as the U.S. president’s "wait-and-see position" regarding a possible meeting between Putin and Zelenskyy. However, officials noted there have been few real signs of progress in recent days, and the White House does not yet have a list of potential venues for such a meeting.
"Trump and his national security team continue to work with Russian and Ukrainian officials on holding a bilateral meeting to stop the killing and end the war… Public discussion of these matters does not serve national interests," the White House stressed.
