Putin approves a summit with Trump, but not with Zelensky. Meloni interviews the US and Ukrainian presidents: "A just peace in Kiev."

(Adnkronos) –

Putin is ready for a summit with Trump but not with Zelensky because the conditions necessary for that to happen "are still far off." While awaiting the US president's decision on new sanctions against Russia if there is no peace agreement in Ukraine, Moscow and Washington have reached an agreement for the two leaders to meet in the coming days, and work on the summit has begun.

A summit that, Trump clarified, will take place even if the Russian leader doesn't meet with the Ukrainian president first. This statement contradicts previous US media reports, which, citing anonymous White House officials, claimed that a Putin-Zelensky meeting was a prerequisite for Trump's summit with his Russian counterpart. When asked by reporters in the Oval Office whether Putin was obligated to meet with Zelensky first, Trump simply replied: "No, he's not obligated, no. They would like to meet with me, and I will do everything I can to stop the killings," he added.

Preparations for the talks have already begun at the White House and perhaps also in the Kremlin, since the American president has repeatedly spoken about a possible meeting with Putin for eight months. At Trump's request, the summit preparation process has therefore been accelerated: the meeting could take place "as early as next week," Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov explained, or within the next two weeks, The Bell cautiously emphasizes.

After Putin met with Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, in the Kremlin, reports from Washington suggested that the Russian president had agreed to meet first with Trump and then Zelensky in a trilateral meeting to negotiate a ceasefire in the war in Ukraine.

But the Kremlin He denied that the topic of a three-way summit with Zelensky had been raised. "We propose to focus primarily on preparations for a bilateral meeting with Trump," Russian presidential adviser Yuri Ushakov told reporters in Moscow. "As for the possibility of a potential trilateral summit, which Washington was talking about for some reason, this was only mentioned by the American side during the meeting in the Kremlin. But it was not discussed. The Russian side chose not to comment on this possibility at all."

A meeting with Zelensky “is possible,” but the conditions necessary for this to happen “are still far off,” Putin later commented, quoted by Tass.

No venue has been announced for the potential bilateral summit, but Putin, who met with Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the leader of the United Arab Emirates, in the Kremlin yesterday, suggested that the UAE might be a suitable venue for the talks. "We have many friends who are willing to help us organize such events. One of our friends is the president of the United Arab Emirates," he said.

In the evening, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni held telephone conversations with Trump, Zelensky, and the President of the United Arab Emirates, H.H. Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The Prime Minister discussed with them the ongoing efforts to reach a ceasefire and a negotiated path that can ensure a just and lasting peace in Ukraine, also in light of the most recent diplomatic initiatives promoted by the United States.

“I spoke with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. It was a fruitful conversation, in which we shared a common vision on how to move towards a real and just peace. We shared details of our recent contacts with other leaders. It is important for Ukraine that our partners are well informed about the situation. We all want a clear and secure future for Europe,” the Ukrainian president wrote on X. “Giorgia firmly supports the position that European leaders must be involved in diplomatic efforts alongside the United States to establish peace. This war is unfolding on the European continent, Ukraine is moving towards EU membership, and the European Union will participate in the reconstruction of our country after the war. That is why Europe's voice must absolutely be taken into account. We have coordinated our next steps, including contacts with President Trump, and have agreed to remain in touch,” he added. “Thank you, Giorgia, for your principled position and unwavering support,” the Ukrainian president concluded.

"All the decisions that need to be made to end this war and ensure security actually concern the whole of Europe," Zelensky declared in his usual evening video message posted on social media. Zelensky also advocated for greater European influence in the ongoing negotiations between the United States and Russia to end the war in Ukraine, reiterating that the conflict represents Russia's war not only against Ukraine, but "in Europe and against Europe."

According to Zelensky, "Europe's voice must influence the process." After phone calls with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Zelensky is also planning a call with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump hopes to negotiate with Russian President Vladimir Putin next week to end the war in Ukraine. Zelensky would only be involved in the talks at a later stage. Already in the spring, Kiev insisted on being directly involved in all talks to end the conflict.

Although the results of Witkoff's Moscow mission exceeded expectations—for the first time, Putin reportedly offered "specific examples" of the conditions for ending the war—Trump is still expected to make an announcement on sanctions today, as Marco Rubio suggested last Wednesday. Most likely, it is anticipated, the measures will be very mild and limited to the "ghost fleet" of oil and gas tankers used by Moscow to circumvent sanctions.

Trump will have to allay fears that Putin will use the meeting as another way to delay the introduction of new sanctions and drag out the peace talks, the Wall Street Journal writes. "The whole world is waiting for the next step," agrees Patrick Wintour, a journalist for the Guardian. As the deadline approaches, doubts grow about whether Trump will harshly punish Russia for delaying negotiations. "What Trump does to sanction Putin could define his entire presidential career."