Trump pushes for trilateral summit with Putin and Zelensky as early as August 22
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Washington: US President Donald Trump has told European leaders that he plans to host a trilateral summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as soon as August 22, according to US media reports.
Zelensky confirmed in a post on X on Saturday that he will meet Trump in Washington on Monday. Trump has also invited European leaders to attend the White House talks, Axios reported.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said a trilateral summit could follow Monday’s meeting between Trump and Zelensky, Xinhua news agency reported. However, Russia has not publicly committed to participating.
Citing sources, a US newspaper reported that after his meeting with Putin, Trump floated a peace proposal under which Ukraine would relinquish the rest of the Donbass region to Russia, including areas not currently under Moscow’s control. In exchange, a ceasefire along existing frontlines and security guarantees for Kyiv and Europe would be offered, Russian news agency Tass reported.
Trump and Putin met on August 15 at the Elmendorf-Richardson military base in Alaska for nearly three hours. Their talks included a private discussion in Trump’s limousine and a subsequent small-group session. The Russian delegation comprised Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Special Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff joined Trump.
Putin later told reporters the talks focused on resolving the Ukraine conflict. Trump described the meeting as “very productive” before reaching out to Zelensky, EU leaders, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
Following these conversations, Trump said Ukraine and Russia should move directly towards a final peace settlement, signaling a shift from his earlier insistence on a ceasefire. He added that if Monday’s talks with Zelensky go well, another round of discussions with Putin will be scheduled.