Posted on 08/30/25
| News Source: Yahoo News
President Trump, in an interview with the Daily Caller, a conservative U.S. news site, that was published Saturday, said he believed three-way talks involving Russian President Vladimir Putin, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and himself would still happen.
After his separate meetings with Putin and Zelenskyy this month, Mr. Trump said he was arranging face-to-face talks between the Russian and Ukrainian leaders and then he might meet with the two if necessary. But in the Daily Caller interview, Trump expressed less confidence he will be able to arrange those bilateral talks between Zelenskyy and Putin.
"We got along. You saw it, we've had a good relationship over the years, very good, actually," Mr. Trump said of Putin. "That's why I really thought we would have this done. I would have loved to have had it done."
Mr. Trump added, "A tri would happen. A bi, I don't know about, but a tri will happen."
For his part, Zelenskyy on Friday expressed frustration with what he called Russia's lack of constructive engagement. He accused Russia of dragging out negotiations, including by putting off a Russia-Ukraine summit with the argument that the groundwork for a possible peace settlement must be thrashed out first by lower officials before leaders meet.
That reasoning, Zelenskyy told reporters, is "artificial … because they want to show the United States that they are constructive, but they are not constructive."
"In my opinion, leaders must urgently be involved to reach agreements," Zelenskyy added.