Trump told reporters at the White House on Wednesday that Putin “knows where I stand” on the war.
“He’ll make a decision one way or the other,” Trump said. “Whatever his decision is, we’ll either be happy about it or unhappy. And if we’re unhappy about it, you’ll see things happen.”
Earlier, Putin said he was open to meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in Moscow at Trump’s request, speaking at the end of his visit to China. He added he had “never ruled out” such talks but questioned their value.
Putin said Moscow would achieve its aims militarily if no agreement is reached. “Let’s see how the situation develops,” he said.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said seven countries have made “serious proposals” to host a leaders’ meeting, and that Zelenskiy was ready “at any point in time.” He accused Putin of making “knowingly unacceptable proposals” and urged increased pressure on Russia.
Trump has floated a one-on-one between Putin and Zelenskiy, but the sides remain far apart. Russia says any deal must include land in four regions it has annexed since 2022, while Kyiv rules out ceding territory.
Zelenskiy said he hopes to speak with Trump on Thursday to push new sanctions on Russia, adding there were U.S. “signals” of a post-conflict backstop for Ukraine. French President Emmanuel Macron said security guarantees for Ukraine are ready and will be endorsed Thursday in Paris at a meeting of the so-called “coalition of the willing,” a format of countries and organizations supporting Ukraine.
According to previous announcements, the talks will include Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Ukrainian President, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. The Élysée Palace announced that the participants will speak with Trump by phone.
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Source: PAP, CBS News, Reuters