The Kremlin has minimized expectations for a meeting between Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky. Donald Trump has called for the two leaders to meet and seek an end to the war in Ukraine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Trump made the call after meeting Putin in Alaska last week and hosting Zelensky with seven European leaders at the White House on Monday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He acknowledged the conflict is difficult to resolve and warned Putin might not want peace. \u201cWe\u2019re going to find out about President Putin in the next couple of weeks,\u201d he said on Tuesday. \u201cIt\u2019s possible that he doesn\u2019t want to make a deal.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Trump said Putin would face a \u201crough situation\u201d if he resisted negotiations but offered no further details. Later, he suggested Zelensky and Putin could meet without him, speaking during a late-night interview with conservative radio host Mark Levin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He added he would attend if necessary but preferred to see how talks develop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Putin told Trump he was \u201copen\u201d to direct talks, but the next day Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov tempered that statement, saying discussions must start at the expert level and progress gradually.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Russia\u2019s deputy UN envoy Dmitry Polyanskiy emphasized that talks were not rejected but cautioned against meetings \u201cfor the sake of a meeting.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Nato chiefs plan a virtual meeting on Wednesday. Britain\u2019s Admiral Tony Radakin is in Washington discussing a reassurance force for Ukraine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Reports indicated Putin suggested Zelensky could travel to Moscow for talks, a proposal Kyiv would likely reject. Analysts say Russia may have offered an unrealistic option intentionally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Trump appears to better understand the conflict\u2019s complexity and the gap between Moscow\u2019s demands and Kyiv\u2019s stance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
His earlier promise of a quick ceasefire has not materialized. He now favors a permanent peace deal with strong security guarantees for Ukraine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Zelensky and European leaders pressed him to support these guarantees, stressing their importance for Ukraine\u2019s sovereignty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On Tuesday, Trump said the US could provide air support if Europe deployed ground troops in Ukraine. He ruled out sending American soldiers and did not clarify whether support would include fighter jets, drones, or intelligence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
France and the UK lead a \u201ccoalition of the willing\u201d preparing a reassurance force for deployment if hostilities end.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After a virtual meeting, Downing Street said the coalition would meet US officials soon to finalize security guarantees for Ukraine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Following his meetings with Putin and Zelensky, Trump said direct talks could advance peace but acknowledged \u201ctremendous bad blood\u201d between the leaders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They last met in 2019. Since then, Russia\u2019s invasion caused tens of thousands of deaths, widespread destruction, and ongoing attacks on civilians.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Putin refuses to recognize Zelensky\u2019s legitimacy and blames him for Ukraine\u2019s Western ties. He repeats false claims of a \u201cneo-Nazi regime\u201d and says any ceasefire must include leadership change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Moscow has little incentive to negotiate while holding the upper hand on the battlefield.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Still, Zelensky and European leaders support a summit. Zelensky said he is open to \u201cany format\u201d of talks, and Europeans have proposed potential venues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They hope backing dialogue might convince Trump to adopt a tougher stance if Putin resists compromise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
European leaders remain wary of Russia\u2019s intentions. On Tuesday, French President Emmanuel Macron called Putin \u201ca predator, and an ogre at our doorstep,\u201d expressing strong doubt about Moscow\u2019s willingness for peace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Finnish President Alexander Stubb said Putin was \u201crarely to be trusted\u201d and questioned whether a meeting with Zelensky would happen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
More high-level discussions are planned in the coming days. Questions persist over how firmly Trump will support Europe on Ukraine\u2019s security.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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