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Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said no meeting was currently planned, despite the US-led diplomatic push to find a peace deal
Trump’s remarks came amid rising tensions as Russia ruled out an immediate summit between Putin and Zelenskyy. (AP file photos)
US President Donald Trump on Friday compared the challenge of arranging a meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin to mixing “oil and vinegar.”
Speaking to reporters in Washington, Trump said, “We’re going to see if Putin and Zelensky will be working together. You know, it’s like oil and vinegar, a little bit. They don’t get along too well, for obvious reasons.”
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He added, “We’ll see” if he would need to attend any such meeting.
Trump’s remarks came amid rising tensions as Russia ruled out an immediate summit between Putin and Zelenskyy. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said no meeting was currently planned, despite the US-led diplomatic push to find a peace deal.
Lavrov told NBC’s ‘Meet the Press’ that while Putin was ready to meet Zelenskyy once an agenda was set, “the agenda was not ready at all.”
Lavrov also questioned Zelenskyy’s legitimacy and repeated Kremlin demands, saying Ukraine’s president had rejected key principles proposed by Washington, including no NATO membership for Ukraine and discussions on territorial issues.
“There are several principles which Washington believes must be accepted, including no NATO membership, including the discussion of territorial issues, and Zelensky said no to everything,” Lavrov told NBC.
Meanwhile, Zelenskyy, speaking in Kyiv alongside Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, denied any agreements with Russia and said only discussions with Trump had shaped the diplomatic path forward. He accused Moscow of trying to avoid a meeting and continuing its military offensive.
“When Russia raises the issue of security guarantees, I honestly do not yet know who is threatening them,” said Zelenskyy.
The question of security guarantees for Ukraine remains central to ongoing talks. Trump had claimed Russia agreed to some Western guarantees, but Moscow later dismissed talks excluding Russia as “a road to nowhere.”
Zelenskyy has called for foreign troops in Ukraine to deter future Russian attacks, a demand the Kremlin firmly rejects, citing Ukraine’s NATO aspirations as a key cause of the conflict.
(With inputs from AFP)
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The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers, the Desk d…Read More
The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers, the Desk d… Read More
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