Donald Trump Foresees a Three-Way Summit with Putin and Zelensky Amid Ongoing Conflict
Former U.S. President Donald Trump has expressed confidence that a trilateral meeting involving himself, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will eventually take place. However, he cautioned that such a summit is unlikely to occur until the conflict between Russia and Ukraine persists for a while longer.
Trilateral Talks Over Bilateral Negotiations
Trump dismissed the likelihood of a direct bilateral dialogue between Putin and Zelensky, emphasizing instead the necessity of a three-party discussion with his participation. “A three-way meeting will happen. A two-way, I’m uncertain about, but the tri-party summit is inevitable,” Trump told the Daily Caller. He acknowledged that sometimes parties involved may not be ready to engage in peace talks immediately.
Previous Engagements and Current Stances
Having met separately with both leaders, Trump has sought to understand their respective conditions for ending the war. Ukraine has shown openness to a ceasefire plan supported by the United States, yet Russia remains steadfast in refusing to make concessions or recognize Zelensky’s legitimacy, citing the suspension of elections in Kyiv due to the ongoing invasion.
Moscow has proposed preliminary, lower-level negotiations as a precursor to any high-level summit. Zelensky, however, has rejected this approach, labeling it a delaying tactic while Russia continues its drone and missile strikes across Ukrainian territory.
Trump’s Unique Position and Analogy
Trump highlighted his personal rapport with Putin as a potential catalyst for facilitating the meeting. Nonetheless, he suggested that the conflict might need to continue for some time before meaningful peace discussions can advance. He likened the situation to children quarreling on a playground who must exhaust their fight before reconciling.
Conflict Overview and Human Cost
Now entering its third year, the war in Ukraine stands as Europe’s deadliest conflict since World War II. According to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, the death toll has reached approximately 1.4 million, including around 250,000 Russian military personnel and 100,000 Ukrainian soldiers, with casualties mounting weekly.
Future U.S. Involvement
While Trump has ruled out deploying American troops to Ukraine, he hinted at the possibility of providing air support to Kyiv’s forces after the war concludes, aiming to strengthen Ukraine’s defense capabilities in the long term.
Source: Linda Ikeji Blog
0 Comments