President Trump: 'It would be better if Putin and Zelensky met without me'
US President Donald Trump said the leaders of Russia and Ukraine should meet face-to-face without him before moving forward with a potential three-way peace summit, stressing that the two sides should step up bilateral talks.
Speaking on Mark Levin's radio show on August 19 (local time), President Donald Trump shared his views after separate meetings with his Russian and Ukrainian counterparts.
Specifically, Mr. Trump met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska last Friday and then three days later welcomed Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky in Washington.
Mr Trump has said the sides should begin working towards a lasting peace without first agreeing to a ceasefire, a proposal that has been floated by some European leaders.
"I had a very successful meeting with President Putin. I had a very successful meeting with President Zelensky. And now I think it would be better if they met without me, just to see what happens, I want to see what happens," Trump said.
"You know, they've had a difficult relationship, a very bad relationship. Now we'll see how they do. If necessary, and it probably will be necessary, I'll get involved and maybe I'll be able to close the deal," the US leader added.
Earlier, at a press conference on August 18, Ukrainian President Zelensky said he was ready for a potential meeting with President Putin.
The Kremlin has yet to comment on Mr Trump’s latest proposal, but earlier this year Mr Putin said he was ready to meet Mr Zelensky in the “final stage” of negotiations.
On the same day that Mr. Trump spoke, President Putin's senior aide, Mr. Yury Ushakov, also said that Russia supported continuing "direct negotiations between the Russian and Ukrainian delegations."
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