The recent talks in Washington involving US President Donald Trump and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky revealed that Trump is preparing a bilateral meeting between the presidents of Ukraine and Russia. Trump announced this after a phone call with the Russian leader, which took place during a break in meetings with Zelensky and European leaders.
Zelensky confirmed the information, noting that any potential trilateral summit involving Trump would only take place after a meeting between the Ukrainian and Russian presidents. Zelensky has long advocated for direct talks with Vladimir Putin, which would be the first since 2019.
There has been no official comment from the Russian side so far. Media reports suggest a meeting between Zelensky and Putin may happen within two weeks, though Putin previously insisted such talks require thorough preparation by delegations, which have not met since earlier rounds in Istanbul.
Key questions remain: will the meeting occur within two weeks, what issues—especially territorial—will be discussed, and could this lead to a broader summit with US participation? Positions remain far apart, complicating prospects for a ceasefire.
Russia continues to demand Ukrainian troop withdrawal from occupied areas, Ukrainian neutrality, demilitarization, a ban on certain parties, and granting Russian as a state language. At the same time, Russian attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure persist.
Thus, there are no official answers yet regarding the proposed meeting's feasibility or its potential outcomes. Washington negotiations have not yielded breakthroughs so far, keeping the situation tense.
