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This development reportedly stems from a phone call placed by President Trump to Putin during the Oval Office discussions.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz confirmed the breakthrough while speaking to reporters (AP File)
The high-stakes White House meeting on Monday between US President Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and key European leaders appears to have achieved at least one major breakthrough. According to the EU leaders, a long-anticipated meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Zelenskyy may soon become reality.
The official statements from several European leaders following the summit mentioned that Putin has agreed to meet Zelenskyy within the next two weeks. This development reportedly stems from a phone call placed by President Trump to Putin during the Oval Office discussions. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz confirmed the breakthrough while speaking to reporters outside the White House.
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“Yes, President Putin has agreed to meet President Zelenskyy within the next two weeks,” Merz stated, adding that the location for the meeting is still being discussed.
His comments were echoed by Finnish President Alexander Stubb, who told CNN that it was a collective decision by Western leaders present at the meeting to update Putin on the finalised agenda and proposals discussed. However, Stubb also expressed caution, noting that Putin’s willingness to engage in genuine bilateral talks remains uncertain.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has already publicly stated his readiness to meet Putin. He acknowledged Russia’s interest in holding bilateral discussions but noted that Ukraine remains open to a trilateral format involving President Trump.
Trump also confirmed the development via Truth Social, writing that following his call with Putin, he had “begun the arrangements for a meeting” between the two adversaries, with him acting as a third-party facilitator. However, no official date or location has been announced yet.
At this stage, it remains unclear whether the talks will begin as a bilateral meeting between Zelenskyy and Putin or as a direct trilateral summit hosted by Trump. “We’ll see in a certain period of time, not very far from now, a week or two weeks, we’re going to know whether or not we’re going to solve this or is this horrible fighting going to continue,” Trump said, signalling cautious optimism about ending the war.
The Russia-Ukraine conflict, which began in February 2022, has claimed thousands of lives and remains a top geopolitical priority for the world, especially Europe.
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Washington D.C., United States of America (USA)
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