Trump Sets Condition for Meeting With Putin, Russian Leader Must Meet Zelenskyy First: White House

Washington: US President Donald Trump will only agree to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin if the Kremlin leader first holds direct talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, a White House official confirmed Thursday. The development comes as both sides discuss potential venues for a Trump-Putin summit, with the United Arab Emirates emerging as a possible neutral location.

A senior White House official stated, "Putin must meet with Zelenskyy for the meeting to occur. No location has been set." The condition underscores Trump's attempt to broker peace in the ongoing conflict while maintaining pressure on Moscow to engage directly with Kyiv.

Earlier Putin confirmed preparations for talks with Trump, suggesting the UAE could host the historic meeting. "We have many friends who are willing to help us organize such events. One of our friends is the president of the United Arab Emirates," the Russian leader said.

The Kremlin earlier announced that a meeting between the two leaders is expected in the "coming days." If held, it would mark the first in-person summit between sitting US and Russian presidents since the 2021 Geneva meeting between Putin and Joe Biden.  

Zelenskyy Pushes for Dialogue Amid Stalemate

The Ukrainian President renewed calls for direct talks with Putin hours before the Russian leader claimed "conditions" for such a meeting remained unmet. 

Zelenskyy's appeal followed Moscow discussions between Putin and Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, whom the US president praised for making "great progress" toward ending the war.

Trump posted on X, "My Special Envoy, Steve Witkoff, just had a highly productive meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Great progress was made! Afterwards, I updated some of our European Allies. Everyone agrees this War must come to a close, and we will work towards that in the days and weeks to come."

No Confirmed Bilateral Meeting Yet: White House

Despite Kremlin announcements, the White House has not confirmed a Trump-Putin summit. During a Wednesday press conference, Trump expressed skepticism about Moscow's peace commitments, noting "He talks nice and then he bombs everybody."

The US president indicated he would gauge Putin's sincerity "within a matter of weeks, maybe less," while downplaying prospects for an immediate trilateral meeting with Zelensky. No sitting world leader has succeeded in convening Russian and Ukrainian representatives since the February 2022 invasion.

While Trump has floated the idea of three-way talks, the Kremlin continues to resist involving Zelenskyy. The US president's frustration has grown amid repeated Russian airstrikes following private assurances from Putin.

"I've been disappointed before," Trump admitted, referencing broken Russian promises. His administration now seeks concrete actions - starting with Putin-Zelenskyy talks - before committing to direct engagement with the Kremlin leader.

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