Trump Questions Potential for Direct Putin-Zelenskyy Talks as Russia Intensifies Ukraine Offensive
WASHINGTON – Former President Donald Trump has expressed skepticism about the likelihood of a direct meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy leading to a swift resolution in the ongoing conflict. in a recent interview with the Daily Caller, Trump stated he believed a “tri” – presumably referring to a three-party negotiation involving himself – “will happen,” but expressed less certainty about a bilateral meeting. “A bi, I don’t know about, but a tri will happen,” he said, adding he “would have loved to have had it done.”
Trump’s comments come as Ukraine and its allies accuse Russia of stalling peace efforts while continuing to advance on the ground. President Zelenskyy on Friday voiced frustration with Russia’s lack of engagement,accusing Moscow of using lower-level negotiations as a pretense to appear constructive to the United States. “They want to show the United States that they are constructive, but they are not constructive,” Zelenskyy told reporters, arguing that “leaders must urgently be involved to reach agreements.”
Ukraine has accepted a U.S.proposal for a ceasefire and a meeting between Putin and Zelenskyy,but Moscow has raised objections. Trump previously stated he expected to know within two weeks whether Russia was genuinely interested in negotiations.
Simultaneously occurring, Russia’s military offensive in Ukraine continues to intensify. Valery Gerasimov, chief of russia’s general staff, announced Saturday that Russian forces are waging a “nonstop” offensive along the 620-mile front line and have seized over 1,351 square miles of Ukrainian territory and 149 settlements since March. Gerasimov also reported the capture of seven settlements in the Dnipropetrovsk region, marking a Russian breakthrough into an eighth Ukrainian province.
This escalation was underscored by a large-scale Russian aerial attack on southern Ukraine Saturday, following a deadly airstrike on Kyiv earlier this week that killed 23 people and damaged EU diplomatic offices. Ukraine’s air force reported intercepting 38 of the 45 missiles and 510 of the 537 strike drones and decoys launched by Russia. The attack included a strike on a residential building in the Zaporizhzhia region, killing at least one civilian and wounding 28 others, including children, according to Gov. Ivan fedorov.Despite the intensified attacks, the Kremlin reiterated Thursday its continued interest in peace talks.
