The Russian government considers an early trilateral meeting between Russian leader Vladimir Putin, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and US President Donald Trump impossible, according to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. This statement comes at a time when the war in Ukraine has entered its fourth year, and diplomatic efforts continue, but at a slow pace.
“Putin is ready for contacts at the highest level,” Peskov said in Moscow, stressing that such contacts should be the result of agreements reached previously at the technical level. These comments come in response to US President Donald Trump’s proposal to organize a trilateral summit aimed at ending the conflict in Ukraine.
Despite Russian skepticism about an immediate high-level meeting, recent developments indicate increased diplomatic activity but also an escalation of the situation on the ground. Recently, delegations from Ukraine and Russia held talks in Istanbul. According to spokesman Peskov, although there was no significant progress on all issues, important results were achieved in the humanitarian field. In their second meeting since mid-May, the warring parties agreed on another exchange of prisoners and the return of the bodies of fallen soldiers on the battlefield, in a “6,000 for 6,000” format.
“Moscow now expects Ukraine to respond to its list of demands,” Peskov said. These demands include the permanent ceding of Ukrainian territories, a condition unacceptable to Kyiv. Russia also demands that the international community recognize its territorial gains, cease military support for Ukraine, and lift sanctions imposed against it. Peskov stressed that “possible compromises on these demands should be discussed in the negotiation process, but not discussed publicly.”
On the military front, recent developments show an intensification of fighting and mutual attacks. Just a few days ago, Ukraine carried out a large-scale series of drone strikes against several air bases in Russia, causing significant damage to its military fleet, including strategic bombers capable of carrying nuclear payloads. These attacks, described by some as “Russia’s Pearl Harbor,” demonstrated Ukraine’s ability to strike deep into Russian territory and caused shock in Moscow.
However, despite these attacks, the parties continued talks in Istanbul, focusing mainly on humanitarian aspects. The agreement on the exchange of prisoners and the return of the bodies of fallen soldiers is a positive step, but it remains far from resolving the conflict as a whole.
President Zelensky has repeatedly emphasized Ukraine’s readiness for talks without preconditions but has categorically refused any territorial concessions to Russia. Military and financial support from Western countries remains crucial for Ukraine in confronting Russian aggression.
Meanwhile, President Trump’s initiative for a trilateral meeting is seen as an attempt to break the impasse in negotiations and find a diplomatic solution. However, with the strong positions of the parties and the deep mistrust between them, the road to peace remains long and difficult.
The international community is closely monitoring developments and continues to call for de-escalation of the situation and a peaceful resolution of the conflict, stressing the importance of respecting Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. The future of the talks and the possibility of a trilateral meeting remain uncertain, depending on the dynamics of the fighting on the ground and the willingness of the parties to make genuine compromises.
Be First to Comment