US President Donald Trump declared on Thursday that he would meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin even if Putin had not previously met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
This statement contradicted earlier reports from US media citing unnamed White House officials, which claimed that a Putin-Zelensky meeting was a prerequisite for Trump’s own summit with the Russian leader.
When asked by reporters in the Oval Office whether Putin was required to meet Zelensky first, Trump responded plainly:
“No, he doesn’t, no.”
“They would like to meet with me, and I’ll do whatever I can to stop the killing,” Trump added.
The previous day, Trump said a face-to-face meeting with Putin could happen “very soon,” following a visit by his envoy, Steve Witkoff, to Moscow where he met with the Russian president.
Since taking office in January, Trump has sought to end Russia’s military assault on Ukraine, having boasted during his campaign that he could end the conflict within 24 hours.
Recently, Trump escalated pressure on Moscow, setting a Friday deadline for a ceasefire agreement or threatening additional sanctions.
When asked on Thursday whether this deadline still applied following Witkoff’s talks, Trump gave no direct answer:
“It’s going to be up to (Putin). We’re going to see what he has to say.”
He concluded with a note of frustration: “Very disappointed.”
