U.S. President Says He Would Prefer Not to Attend Possible Meeting Between Putin and Zelensky

U.S. President Donald Trump stated that he would prefer not to attend a possible meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Zelensky, reports TASS.

"We will see if Putin and Zelensky can work together. We’ll see if I need to be there. I would prefer not to be," said the American president. "I would prefer that they meet and see what they can accomplish."

Earlier, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, in an interview with NBC News, said that a meeting between Putin and Zelensky is not scheduled. The Russian leader will be ready for such a meeting when there is an agenda for it.

President Trump compared the relations between Russia and Ukraine to "oil and vinegar," noting that "for obvious reasons, they don't get along very well."

On August 18, President Trump, after meeting with Russian leader Vladimir Putin on August 15 in Alaska, held separate meetings with Zelensky, as well as the presidents of Finland and France, Alexander Stubb and Emmanuel Macron, UK Prime Minister Kiri Starmer, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. The meeting also included European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.

During the meeting, Trump called Putin, with whom, according to the White House chief, he discussed the prospects for a meeting between the Russian leader and Zelensky, as well as trilateral negotiations. As Russian Presidential Aide Yuri Ushakov reported, the Russian and U.S. leaders expressed support for continuing direct consultations between Moscow and Kyiv, including the idea of elevating their level.