US President Donald Trump and his administration continue to insist that a meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian dictator Vladimir Putin could happen soon. However, the Kremlin leader has shown no interest in meeting with the Ukrainian leader during the 3.5 years of full-scale war, and still does not.
Points of attention
- Putin has shown no interest in meeting with Zelenskyy despite Trump's insistence, citing security issues and territorial concessions as key obstacles.
- The likelihood of a peace agreement being reached between Zelenskyy and Putin remains low due to differing views on security guarantees and territories.
- Experts believe Putin may be using the potential meeting to manipulate the situation in Ukraine and buy time for regime change.
Will Putin meet with Zelenskyy — experts' opinion
Axios explained why Trump is unlikely to be able to arrange a meeting between Zelenskyy and Putin, especially in the next few weeks. There are several reasons for this.
The publication recalled that on August 19, White House press secretary Caroline Leavitt said that Putin had agreed to a bilateral meeting with Zelensky. Trump, on the other hand, said that he wanted this summit to take place by the end of August.
However, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov previously assured that a summit at a lower level must take place before the meeting between the leaders of Ukraine and the Russian Federation.
This underscores Moscow's previous position that leaders could meet only to sign an agreement, with peace talks taking place between delegations.
In addition, the publication noted that the parties' positions on key issues of security guarantees and territorial concessions are far from each other. Even if Zelenskyy and Putin meet in the near future, it is unlikely that they will conclude a peace agreement.
The publication also recalled that one of Putin's main goals in Ukraine is regime change, which he will be able to control. According to Ukrainian intelligence services, attempts were even being prepared against Zelenskyy, which were supervised by the Russian side.
The journalists added that many European and Ukrainian officials also suspect that Putin is trying to buy time by pretending that he really wants to end the war. In fact, the Russian dictator is only trying to convince Trump of this.
The publication does not rule out that Putin may even publicly agree to a meeting with Zelensky. However, it will not be possible without additional conditions and a delay in the date of this summit.
The publication also noted that Trump initially wanted to participate in a meeting with Zelensky and Putin. Later, he assured that the leaders of Ukraine and Russia should first meet face to face, after which it would be appropriate to move on to a trilateral summit.
Rather, Putin himself could have insisted on meeting Zelenskyy without Trump. The reason may be that it would be easier for the Russian dictator to cancel the bilateral summit.
Another important problem is that Ukraine and Russia have completely different views on the issue of security guarantees. Trump has said that Europe can send its troops to Ukraine after the end of hostilities, while Russia categorically rejects the presence of a NATO military contingent in Ukraine.
The publication emphasized that there are also differences between Ukraine and the Russian Federation on the issue of territories. Putin wants Ukrainian troops to withdraw from the Luhansk and Donetsk regions, and the front line in the Kherson and Zaporizhia regions to be frozen. Ukraine, on the other hand, is against territorial concessions and recognition of the captured regions as Russian.
