Media: Trump pushes for face-to-face Putin-Zelenskyy talks

US President Donald Trump’s primary short-term goal in his diplomacy on the Russia-Ukraine war is simple: bring Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy into the same room to talk peace. Advisers stress that all other moves are merely preparatory steps toward that high-stakes meeting.

President Trump was heavily criticised for abruptly dropping his demand for a ceasefire from Putin during their recent Alaska summit. Nonetheless, Trump advisers insist the summit laid the groundwork for progress, framing the planned bilateral meeting with Zelenskyy in Washington oln August 18 as a crucial next step, Axios writes.

“I'm sure Putin is waiting to see how Monday goes, but it's everybody's expectation, not just the always-rosy Donald Trump, but also [special envoy Steve] Witkoff and [Secretary of State Marco] Rubio, that Putin will meet with Zelenskyy,” one adviser told Axios, Caliber.Az cites.

Trump’s approach, according to officials, follows a three-step process: first, get Putin to meet bilaterally with the US to agree on steps toward peace; second, secure Zelenskyy’s agreement in a separate bilateral meeting; and third, bring both leaders together with US participation to negotiate a potential settlement. Whether a trilateral meeting will actually occur remains uncertain.

Tensions remain high on the ground. During the Alaska talks, Putin presented maximalist demands regarding five Ukrainian regions, including Donetsk, where Russia controls roughly 75 per cent of the territory.

“If Donetsk is the thing here and if there is no give, we should just not prolong this,” Trump recalled saying to Putin, before the Russian leader reportedly softened his stance. US intelligence assessments differ, with one estimating Putin could seize all of Donetsk by October and another predicting a prolonged, inconclusive conflict.

The Alaska summit was marked by abrupt departures and limited public explanation. Trump left Anchorage quickly, canceling a planned working lunch with Putin and leaving summit materials behind at a hotel. 

“Both sides will have to give up something to get peace and agree to potential concessions or discuss potential concessions without it finding its way in the public sphere and creating all kinds of internal problems,” Rubio told NBC’s “Meet The Press.”

Highlighting the war’s ongoing intensity, Rubio added on CBS, “20,000 Russian soldiers were killed last month, in July, in this war. That just tells you the price they're willing to pay. ... It's a meat grinder, and [the Russians] just have more meat to grind.”

By Sabina Mammadli