Trump, Kremlin signal possible Putin-Zelensky meeting
US President Donald Trump has expressed confidence that Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will meet in the near future, according to remarks reported by TASS. Trump said he had discussed the potential venue with Putin, noting that the Russian leader preferred Moscow but that such a location would be unacceptable for Zelensky.
"One of the things I talked to him [Putin] about was 'Where would you want to meet?' and he said 'Ideally in Moscow.' I told him that he [Zelensky] is not going to meet in Moscow, that just doesn't work," Trump told Zelensky, as quoted by TASS. "He'll meet and Zelensky is going to meet and something is going to happen that's going to be positive. I hope that's going to happen soon."
Trump's remarks come against a backdrop of conflicting signals from Moscow and Kyiv about the conditions for any direct talks between the two leaders.
Kremlin reiterates Moscow as venue
Earlier in July, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that a Putin-Zelensky meeting could be arranged in Moscow at any time, as soon as the Ukrainian leader is ready to make "important, responsible decisions." According to TASS, Peskov made the comments in response to Zelensky's proposal to meet in Konstantinovka, a city in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine.
"If this is how Mr. Zelensky is expressing his willingness to visit Russia, we welcome it. But we would like to remind him that President Putin has spoken of his readiness to receive him in Moscow. After all, Moscow is the capital of Russia, not Konstantinovka," Peskov said during a radio broadcast, as reported by TASS.
Peskov added that Zelensky "can come to Moscow as soon as he is ready to make important and responsible decisions."
Differing positions on negotiation terms
The statements from Trump and Peskov highlight a divergence over the conditions for a potential meeting. While Trump indicated that a meeting in Moscow would not be feasible for Zelensky, the Kremlin has repeatedly insisted that any encounter should take place in the Russian capital. Neither Trump's nor Peskov's remarks detailed whether alternative venues had been discussed beyond the two cities mentioned.
Zelensky has not publicly responded to the latest statements from Trump or Peskov, according to the reports reviewed. The Ukrainian leader's earlier proposal of Konstantinovka as a meeting site is not addressed directly in the Kremlin's response, which dismissed the location as unsuitable.
The reports do not specify any concrete date or timeline for the potential meeting, beyond Trump's expressed hope that "something positive" would happen "soon."