Plans for a bilateral meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky are now “in progress,” with “many options” being discussed, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Tuesday.
She repeatedly declined to answer questions regarding specific locations for the meeting, reports CNN.
“Both leaders have expressed their willingness to sit down with each other, and our National Security team will assist both countries in making this happen,” Leavitt told reporters at a White House briefing.
When asked how the plans shifted from a potential trilateral meeting to an initial bilateral meeting, Leavitt explained that “it was an idea that evolved during discussions between Trump, President Putin, President Zelensky, and European leaders,” who she said “all agree this is an excellent first step.”
Leavitt added that Trump “agrees” with the idea of a bilateral meeting without the U.S. presence.
“Ultimately, the president has always said that there are areas of disagreement in this war that will need to be discussed and resolved by these two countries. And so, he wants these two nations to engage in direct diplomacy,” Leavitt stated.
