Donald Trump has said a meeting between Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian president Vladimir Putin could take place within two weeks, German chancellor Friedrich Merz said after talks at the White House.
The US president has taken steps to arrange a meeting between the two as he hosted key European leaders at the White House.
“At the conclusion of the meetings, I called President Putin, and began the arrangements for a meeting, at a location to be determined, between President Putin and President Zelensky. After that meeting takes place, we will have a Trilat, which would be the two Presidents, plus myself,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
After the meeting between European leaders and Trump, Nato chief Mark Rutte said alliance membership for Ukraine was not under discussion but that there was a discussion on "Article 5-type" security guarantees for the war-hit nation.
Sir Keir Starmer said there was "real progress" and a "real sense of unity" during the White House talks.
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Trump to arrange Putin-Zelensky visit in weeks, says German leader
04:36
,
Arpan Rai
Donald Trump has said a meeting between Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian president Vladimir Putin could take place within two weeks, German chancellor Friedrich Merz said after talks at the White House.
The US president has taken steps to arrange a meeting between the two as he hosted key European leaders at the White House.
“At the conclusion of the meetings, I called President Putin, and began the arrangements for a meeting, at a location to be determined, between President Putin and President Zelensky. After that meeting takes place, we will have a Trilat, which would be the two Presidents, plus myself,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
The direct meeting between Zelensky and Putin was also confirmed by French president Emmanuel Macron who told reporters that the participants of Monday's talks are willing to set up a bilateral meeting between the two "in the coming days" and the trilateral meeting including Trump "by two to three weeks."
Zelensky said the meeting with Putin should be held “without any conditions”, adding that if he starts to set conditions for the meeting, regarding a potential ceasefire or other matters, then Russia will want to set conditions, too, potentially jeopardising those talks.
"That's why I believe that we must meet without any conditions," he told reporters.