Russian President Vladimir Putin is eager for a one-on-one meeting with President Donald Trump, but Ukrainian leadership insisted there can be no negotiations without their involvement.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov struck a warm tone Thursday while speaking to reporters about the desire for a bilateral U.S.-Russia meeting, calling the current White House “far more appealing and […] open to dialogue” than former President Joe Biden‘s.
“The previous U.S. administration took the view that everything should be done to prolong the war. The current administration, as we understand it, believes everything should be done to stop the war and achieve peace,” Peskov said.
“There is definitely a need to organize such a meeting quite promptly,” he said. “The heads of state have a lot to talk about.”
Trump, Putin, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky have appeared united in an effort to fast-track an end to the Russian invasion that has ravaged Ukraine for years and inflicted hundreds of thousands of casualties on both sides.
The U.S. president spoke to both nations’ leaders Wednesday via phone, expressing optimism that a mutually acceptable arrangement was on the horizon and seeking to keep the pressure on the matter.
“GREAT TALKS WITH RUSSIA AND UKRAINE YESTERDAY,” Trump said Thursday morning in a Truth Social post. “GOOD POSSIBILITY OF ENDING THAT HORRIBLE, VERY BLOODY WAR!!!”
Russia, which has been largely stoic about the topic of peace negotiations since Trump’s inauguration, is pushing for the process to “move quickly” following the phone call, signaling that Putin sees an off-ramp for his ill-fated invasion.
Peskov said Thursday that the Kremlin is still waiting for “initial proposals” before “finalizing the location and timing” of the talks.
“All issues related to security on the European continent, especially in those aspects that concern our country […] should be discussed comprehensively, and we expect that to be the case,” he told reporters.
Zelensky told reporters Thursday that he trusts Trump not to give Russia undue consideration over Ukraine but affirmed that “there can be no talk about Ukraine without Ukraine,” according to Ukrainian news agency RBC-Ukraine.
The Ukrainian leader said his phone call with Trump lasted approximately an hour, in which the U.S. president told him he “believes Vladimir Putin wants peace and wants to end the war.”
Zelensky said he replied to Trump: “You speak with Putin as the leader of Russia, while I speak with you and think of him as an enemy. And I believe I am in a more realistic position. That’s why I don’t trust.”
Ukraine is also adamant that European nations must be brought to the negotiation table to ensure a stable agreement with multilateral security assurances.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
The European Union is perhaps most irritated with Trump’s role as a unilateral mediator, with EU Foreign Affairs Chief Kaja Kallas criticizing his decision to speak one-on-one with Putin.
“Any deal behind our backs will not work, any agreement will need also Ukraine and Europe being part of it — and this is clear that appeasement also always fails,” Kallas told reporters.
Google Search
