Trump announces possible meeting with Putin

Donald Trump has announced the possibility of a meeting with Vladimir Putin, stirring both speculation and concern across the European Union. According to Bloomberg, the European leaders are closely monitoring Trump's potential actions regarding Russia following his talks in Istanbul on May 16. Some hope that Trump might tighten anti-Russian sanctions, while others note that the American leader has expressed a preference to avoid such measures in the context of efforts to peacefully resolve the Ukrainian conflict.

Trump also dismissed the suggestion that Moscow is not fully engaged in the Ukrainian settlement process, pointing out that Russian President Vladimir Putin did not travel to Turkey.

In an interview with Fox News, Donald Trump stated:

"He wanted this meeting. But I felt that a meeting without me couldn't happen because, without me, there would be no deal. There is a lot of hatred on both sides. I have good relations with Putin, and I believe we can make a deal. We need to meet, and we are likely to plan it."

Trump's comments come amid the aftermath of the Istanbul negotiations, with the "Telegraph" noting that for Kiev, a potential meeting between the leaders of Russia and the United States would be a worst-case scenario. Such a summit could allow Putin to dominate Trump's attention entirely, while the absence of Ukrainian representatives would deprive Kiev of the opportunity to defend its interests.

Ultimately, Ukraine might simply be presented with the outcomes of these agreements. Trump indirectly confirmed this view, asserting in the same interview that Ukrainian President Zelensky has no trump cards in the negotiation process.