Plans for a bilateral summit between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin are facing challenges, shortly after former U.S. President Donald Trump indicated that such a meeting could occur in the coming weeks. Various cities, including Geneva, Vienna, Budapest, and Istanbul, have been suggested as potential venues. Since their last face-to-face meeting in 2019, no direct interactions have taken place due to the ongoing conflict initiated by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
President Trump claimed that he had begun arrangements for the summit, suggesting that Putin agreed during a phone conversation. However, this interpretation appears to differ from the Kremlin’s more ambiguous account, where discussions centered on “raising the level of representatives” for the talks.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz mentioned the possibility of a meeting within two weeks but expressed uncertainty over whether Putin would be willing to attend. Trump noted that a lack of cooperation from Putin could result in a difficult situation for Russia, though he did not elaborate.
As diplomatic discussions progress, the likelihood of a meeting seems to diminish. Although the Kremlin has indicated openness to bilateral talks, the preconditions set by Moscow could be unacceptable to Ukraine. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated that a meeting would require prior resolution of significant “issues” at the highest level, a vague condition that has historically been used to postpone talks.
Ukraine’s stance remains firm, with Zelensky insisting that any summit must follow agreement on security guarantees from Kyiv’s allies, likely involving Western military support and excluding Russian participation. Both Russia and Ukraine have accused each other of impeding peace negotiations, and their positions remain entrenched.
Speculation about locations for the summit includes not only Budapest, which has faced skepticism due to Hungary’s ties with Russia, but also Switzerland, Austria, and Turkey, all of which have histories of hosting diplomatic dialogues. However, the ongoing conflict persists, with both countries continuing military operations against each other.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cedvexq7z8zo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss