Vladimir Putin (left), Donald Trump (AP)
US President Donald Trump on Saturday acknowledged that a high-level summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin is unlikely in the near term, even as a senior Kremlin representative met with US officials in Florida to discuss ending the war in Ukraine, reported AFP.“I’m going to have to know that we’re going to make a deal. I’m not going to be wasting my time,” Trump told reporters aboard air force one as he travelled to Asia.
“I’ve always had a great relationship with Vladimir Putin, but this has been very disappointing. I thought this would have gotten done before peace in the Middle East,” he added. Trump’s remarks came after plans for a summit in Budapest collapsed, with the president citing lack of sufficient progress in diplomacy. At the same time, Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev was engaged in talks with US officials, signalling that dialogue remains active. According to a Russian source familiar with the discussions, Dmitriev met on Friday and Saturday in Florida with the US special envoy Steve Witkoff.In an interview with CNN, Dmitriev said: “I believe Russia and the US and Ukraine are actually quite close to a diplomatic solution.” He added: “It’s a big move by President Volodymyr Zelensky to already acknowledge that it’s about battle lines. You know, his previous position was that Russia should leave completely – so actually, I think we are reasonably close to a diplomatic solution that can be worked out.”The comments come as the US announced sanctions on two of Russia’s largest oil companies, a move aimed at pressuring Moscow over its war in Ukraine. The European Union launched parallel sanctions on the Russian oil and gas sector. While Putin described the sanctions as “serious” and an “unfriendly act”, he maintained that they would not significantly damage Russia’s economy and emphasised ongoing openness to dialogue with the United States.Despite Dmitriev’s optimism, Trump’s insistence on waiting for a concrete deal before meeting Putin suggests summit plans remain conditional. As Trump said: “I’m not going to be wasting my time.”