WASHINGTON – The White House confirmed on Tuesday that arrangements are underway for a face-to-face meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, following a series of high-level meetings hosted by President Donald Trump.
“I can assure you that the United States government and the Trump administration is working with both Russia and Ukraine to make that bilateral happen as we speak.” — Karoline Leavitt, White House Press Secretary.
The announcement comes after President Trump’s recent meetings with President Zelenskyy and European leaders at the White House on Monday, as well as a prior summit with President Putin in Alaska. According to a report by The Associated Press, Trump stated that he had spoken with Putin by phone to begin the process of setting up a direct meeting between the two leaders. The goal of the meeting is to find a path to end the war in Ukraine.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that both President Putin and President Zelenskyy have “expressed a willingness to sit down with each other,” and that “accommodations for that meeting are underway,” as reported by CBS News. Trump has indicated that a trilateral meeting, which would include him, could follow the initial bilateral talks if they are successful.
The discussions in Washington also centered on security guarantees for Ukraine. European leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron, have stressed the importance of these guarantees, with the U.S. committing to work with allies to provide them. According to The Guardian, Trump said on his social media platform, Truth Social, that the security guarantees would be provided by various European countries with coordination from the United States.
The news comes as ongoing conflict continues in Ukraine, a nation with a significant digital commerce sector, including in Pakistan, where many of its citizens have a keen interest in international developments. The potential for a peaceful resolution could have widespread implications for global markets and trade.
