The Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reported that Russia has offered a bilateral sit-down with Ukraine, followed by a trilateral meeting.
Addressing a news conference at the end of his White House meetings with US President Donald Trump on Monday, Zelensky said he would be willing to have "any format" of talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
He said that attendance at a follow-up trilateral meeting would be contingent on the results of the first bilateral session. Zelensky also said that he does not know the entire contents of Russia's offer.
I don't want to impose conditions on the meeting because Putin would reciprocate with his own conditions," he said. "I think unconditionally we should meet and ponder the further continuation of this path to the end of the war.
According to a person familiar with the matter, Putin told Trump on Monday that he is willing to meet Zelensky. The call took place during a break in White House discussions with European leaders.
Trump said he has begun organizing a two-way peace meeting between Zelensky and Putin, which would later be followed by trilateral talks including himself.
At the end of the meetings, I called President Putin, and initiated the plans for a meeting, at a yet-to-be-determined place, between President Putin and President Zelensky," Trump stated. "Following that meeting, we will have a Trilat, which would be the two Presidents, along with myself.
Zelensky gave a optimistic review of his talks with Trump, pointing to discussions on security guarantees. "We had very good talk with President Trump, and actually it was really the best one — or, sorry, maybe the best one will be in the future," he said at an extended meeting with European leaders.
Both Trump and Zelensky were hopeful that Monday's decisive meetings at the White House with Ukrainian and European leaders would lead to trilateral negotiations with Putin as a step towards ending Russia's war in Ukraine.
The meetings come after Trump had previously met with Putin, following which the former US President stated that now it is up to Zelensky to agree on concessions that can end the war.
European leaders, who were not invited to Friday's summit, also met with Trump on Monday, stressing the importance of safeguarding Ukraine and the continent from further aggression by Moscow.
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