The Kremlin Sets Conditions for a Meeting Between Zelensky and Putin as Trump Intensifies His Communications
U.S. President Donald Trump stated he will have a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday to discuss ending the war in Ukraine. He indicated that similar discussions will be held with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and various members of NATO, while the Kremlin noted that a meeting between the Moscow and Kyiv leaders might take place if both sides reach unspecified agreements, according to Bloomberg.
Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social: “We hope it will be a productive day, that a ceasefire will be achieved, and that this extremely violent war, which should never have happened, will come to an end.”
In an interview with Fox News conducted on Friday, Trump suggested that a face-to-face meeting with Putin could be the only way to achieve a ceasefire, while criticizing Zelensky, reiterating his claim that the Ukrainian leader “lacks the ability to fend off Russia.”
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio mentioned on Saturday from Rome that “the Vatican could be one of the possible venues for a meeting between Putin and Trump,” and he also spoke with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov.
Rubio welcomed the prisoner exchange agreement reached during the talks hosted in Istanbul, Turkey, and conveyed Trump’s message that the United States “is committed to achieving a lasting end to the war.”
Ukrainian and Russian officials held their first direct talks in over three years on Friday, mediated by Turkey. However, while both sides agreed to exchange a thousand prisoners in the coming days, expectations were low prior to the meeting after Putin decided not to attend, sending only a delegation. The Russian side refused to commit to a ceasefire proposal, repeating their general demands, including control over certain areas in Ukraine.
Russian negotiators required Kyiv to withdraw all its forces from the four Ukrainian regions that joined the Russian Federation before agreeing to a ceasefire.
Meanwhile, Zelensky once again called for harsher sanctions on Moscow to compel Putin to halt hostilities. His comments came after a Russian drone strike hit a minibus carrying civilians near the front lines in the Sumy region of Ukraine, resulting in 9 fatalities and 7 injuries.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated on Saturday that preparations are underway for a phone call between Trump and Putin, clarifying that a meeting between the Russian president and his Ukrainian counterpart could occur if certain unspecified agreements are achieved, according to Bloomberg.
Peskov added that Russia is preparing its list of conditions for a potential ceasefire with Ukraine and will share them privately with Kyiv.
He said, “We will not comment on any conditions. I would like to reiterate that talks are ongoing and should be conducted entirely behind closed doors,” while stressing that there is “no room” to change the composition of the Russian negotiating team, led by Vladimir Medinsky, for an upcoming round of talks that has yet to be scheduled.
In a separate context, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov praised the “positive role” played by the United States during a phone call with his American counterpart.
In a conversation with Rubio, the Russian Foreign Ministry stated that at the initiative of the United States, Lavrov confirmed Moscow’s readiness to continue peace efforts in Ukraine with the U.S., including through the Istanbul talks.
On the ground, the Ukrainian military announced on Sunday that the capital Kyiv faced a significant Russian drone attack.
The Ukrainian Air Force reported on Telegram that “after more than four hours of issuing warnings about Russian attacks, dozens of drones were still in the Ukrainian airspace threatening Kyiv and other parts of the country.”
Witnesses in Kyiv and its surroundings heard explosions, seemingly the result of air defense units at work.
It is noteworthy that Ukraine and Western governments, including the United States, have called on Russia to accept an immediate and unconditional ceasefire for at least 30 days.
European leaders agreed to move forward with joint actions against Russia for what they consider “a failure to reach a ceasefire agreement with Ukraine,” following phone consultations with Trump.
