President Donald Trump announced that preparations have begun for a trilateral meeting involving himself, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and Russian President Vladimir Putin. The location will be decided by Putin and Zelensky.
Trump described his recent Oval Office meeting with Zelensky and European leaders as “very good,” during which they discussed security guarantees for Ukraine, coordinated between the United States and European nations.
Following the meeting, Trump contacted Putin by phone, initiating preparations for a two-step approach: first a direct meeting between Trump and Putin, followed by the trilateral session including Zelensky.
“Again, this is a very positive and early step toward ending a war that has lasted nearly four years,” Trump stated, noting that Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff are coordinating with both Moscow and Kyiv.
Trump’s announcement overlooks French President Emmanuel Macron’s request for a four-party summit, which Macron argued would be necessary to ensure the security of the entire European continent.
“Perhaps a four-party meeting will be needed in the future. When we talk about security guarantees, we talk about the security of all of Europe,” Macron said.
