President Volodymyr Zelensky may not be included in peace talks between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin – which are expected as soon as next week.
On Thursday, Trump revealed that the meeting with Putin would not require the Russian President agreeing to meet with Zelensky.
“This war is happening in Europe, and Ukraine is an integral part of Europe – we are already in negotiations on EU accession. Therefore, Europe must be a participant in the relevant processes,” he said.
The Ukrainian leader added that whatever settlement was reached would shape Europe’s security landscape for decades to come, and the war must end with a “dignified peace”.
Both Ukrainian and European leaders have long been concerned that Trump could side with Putin and force Zelensky to sign a deal disadvantageous to Kyiv.
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Zelensky could be omitted from upcoming peace talks
And when asked about the possibility of meeting with the Ukrainian leader, Putin himself said he was willing to in principle – but the conditions needed for the meeting were not being met.
Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov confirmed Russia and the US had agreed to hold a summit between Putin and Trump “in the coming days”.
However, he added that on Wednesday US envoy Steve Witkoff had raised the possibility of a Trump-Putin-Zelensky meeting, but the Russian side left this proposal “entirely without comment”.
The proposed meeting comes after the US President threatened new sanctions from Friday against Russia and countries which buy its exports unless the Russian premier agrees to end his three-and-a-half year conflict.
MORE ON THE WAR IN UKRAINE:
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Donald Trump has threatened sanctions on Russia if Putin does not agree to a ceasfire
On Wednesday, Trump imposed higher tariffs against India for buying Russian oil, and said similar additional duties could be placed on China.
The Commander-in-Chief had vowed to end the deadliest conflict in Europe since the Second World War within days of coming into power.
But almost seven months into his second term, it remains an unfulfilled promise.
There are hopes upcoming talks could hold the answer.
Russia’s Deputy UN Ambassador Dmitry Polyanskiy said on Thursday “there are a number of locations, but they agreed to something that they don’t want to disclose” whilst seeming to confirm the meeting would take place next week.
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US and Russian leaders have not held a summit since June 2021 when Putin and former President Joe Biden met in Geneva
During a meeting with the President of the United Arab Emirates, Putin said the country would be an “entirely suitable” venue for the meeting, however he did not confirm if the Gulf state would in fact be the host.
US and Russian leaders have not held a summit since June 2021 when Putin and former President Joe Biden met in Geneva.
And news of the next one has already sparked fury in Ukraine.
Mykola Bielieskov, from the National Institute for Strategic Studies in Kyiv, said offering Putin a summit with Trump was given him a reward without getting anything in return.
He added it gave Russia “the impression of getting out of isolation and talking on an equal footing”.
Bielieskov said the Kremlin “will continue to drag out time, using the very fact of the meetings as proof of openness to negotiations without any concessions”.
