A proposed trilateral meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin, U.S. President Donald Trump, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky would only be possible following “specific agreements” between Moscow and Kyiv, the Kremlin said on Wednesday.
“This kind of meeting must be the result of concrete agreements between the two delegations,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated during a regular press briefing attended by Agence France-Presse.
Peskov was responding to a question about the possibility of a summit involving Putin and Zelensky, or a trilateral format with Trump, following a proposal by the Ukrainian president.
On Tuesday, Zelensky had suggested the idea of a three-way meeting during an embargoed press conference, saying, “We are ready for a Trump–Putin–myself format. If Putin is uncomfortable with a bilateral meeting or if everyone prefers a trilateral format, I have no objection. I am ready for any format.”
Russia and Ukraine held talks in Istanbul in May, but the negotiations failed to produce significant progress. A second round is reportedly in the works, but no date has been confirmed.
U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly said he wants to end the war in Ukraine as soon as possible. His statements have alternated between extending a hand to Putin and sharply criticizing both the Russian and Ukrainian leadership.
In recent days, Trump has toughened his rhetoric toward Moscow, following a wave of intense Russian airstrikes on Ukraine. Speaking on his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump wrote, “What Vladimir Putin doesn’t realize is that if it weren’t for me, some really bad things would’ve already happened to Russia—and I mean REALLY BAD. He’s playing with fire!”
Peskov declined to comment on Trump’s remarks but expressed appreciation for what he described as Trump’s “mediation efforts,” while emphasizing that Russia must safeguard “its own interests.”
File Photo: EPA/MAXIM SHIPENKOV / Source: ANA-MPA, Translated by: Konstantinos Menyktas
