Key points
- Trump says there is a “good chance” to meet Russian and Ukrainian leaders
- Trump did not give further details
ISLAMABAD: United States (US) President Donald Trump has said there is a “good chance” he could meet the Russian and Ukrainian leaders, following what he described as “very good talks” between his envoy and Vladimir Putin earlier in the day.
Asked at the White House whether the two leaders had agreed to such a summit, Trump said there was a “very good prospect”, but did not give further details, BBC reported.
The Kremlin earlier issued a statement about the talks between Putin and Steve Witkoff, with a foreign policy aide saying the two sides had exchanged “signals” as part of “constructive” talks in Moscow, according to BBC.
Trump’s deadline
The meeting came days before Trump’s deadline for Moscow to agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine, or face new sanctions.
Trump’s comments in the Oval Office on Wednesday come after Trump said that he had briefed some of America’s European allies following the talks.
“Everyone agrees this War must come to a close, and we will work towards that in the days and weeks to come,” Trump said.
“Open to meeting”
BBC cited the White House as saying that Russia had expressed a desire to meet the US president and that he was “open to meeting with both President Putin and President Zelensky”.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, meanwhile, said he had spoken to Trump about Witkoff’s visit, with European leaders also on the call.
Zelensky has been warning that Russia would only make serious moves towards peace if it began to run out of money, BBC reported.
Trump has said Russia could face heavy sanctions or see secondary sanctions imposed against all those who trade with it if it doesn’t take steps to end the war.
Wednesday’s discussions between Putin and Witkoff appeared cordial despite Trump’s mounting irritation with the lack of progress in negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv.
BBC reported that shortly after Witkoff’s departure from Moscow, the White House said Trump had signed an executive order imposing an additional 25 per cent tariff on India for buying Russian oil. The tariff would come into force on 27 August.
Trump has accused India of not caring “how many people in Ukraine are being killed by the Russian war machine”.
