When will Putin, Zelenskyy, and Trump meet? Here’s what we know so far about the tri-lateral summit
Will Putin, Zelenskyy, and Trump meet to end the war? Here’s everything we know about the upcoming summit, key players, and possible outcomes.
For the first time since 2015, Russian President Vladimir Putin was welcomed to the United States. The Russian leader had the red carpet rolled out for him at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, and was greeted upon arrival by US President Donald Trump.
Who participated in the meeting?
The two delegations met for close to three hours, each leader joined by a translator and high-level officials. Putin was accompanied by his foreign secretary, Sergey Lavrov, and his foreign policy adviser, Yuri Ushakov, while Trump was joined by his Russia-Ukraine and Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Not much is known about what was discussed...
The luncheon between the two parties was skipped, unlike the last time the two leaders met in 2018. In the end, Putin and Trump did participate in a press conference, where, uncharacteristically, the foreign leader spoke first, followed by brief comments from Donald Trump. In total, the two leaders spoke to the media for 12 minutes, took no questions, and said that while the meetings had been productive, no agreement had been reached for a ceasefire or broader peace deal.
The US president said that it was time for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to make a deal. Zelenskyy responded that he was ready to meet with Putin, writing on social media that “Ukraine reaffirms its readiness to work with maximum effort to achieve peace.”
The Ukrainian leader also reported that he had been brought up to speed on the discussions between Trump and Putin, and emphasized the importance of “America’s strength” continuing to move the peace talks forward.
When could the three leaders meet?
So far, no dates have been set for another round of negotiations. President Trump has made clear that he believes President Putin and President Zelenskyy should speak directly, but that he will join if both sides favor that.
Before his initial meeting with Putin, Trump said that he would be looking to set up a meeting with the two leaders at war very quickly, if he got the sense that Putin was ready for peace.
President Zelenskyy said that he is supportive of the trilateral format and will be heading to Washington, D.C., on Monday to speak with Trump about next steps in bringing the conflict to an end. The Ukrainian president also emphasized the importance of a role for Europe in the negotiations that will follow. “It is important that Europeans are involved at every stage to ensure reliable security guarantees together with America,” wrote Zelenskyy.
We will likely learn more early next week after Trump and Zelenskyy have met—about when a meeting between the three leaders (or possibly more, if European heads of state are invited) might take place. Additionally, very little has been reported on what exactly the two sides were able to agree to and which areas caused challenges. The question of territorial concessions by Ukraine is likely to be a major sticking point in the discussions, as well as what type of security guarantees for Ukraine Russia will be willing to accept.
Get your game on! Whether you’re into NFL touchdowns, NBA buzzer-beaters, world-class soccer goals, or MLB home runs, our app has it all.
Dive into live coverage, expert insights, breaking news, exclusive videos, and more – plus, stay updated on the latest in current affairs and entertainment. Download now for all-access coverage, right at your fingertips – anytime, anywhere.