Putin-Zelenskyy Summit at a Standstill Despite Trump's Plans

Putin-Zelenskyy Summit Stalls Despite Trump's Plans

Ambitious plans for a bilateral summit between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin appear to be stalled, just days after Donald Trump expressed confidence that such a meeting could take place within weeks. The drama surrounding the potential dialogue is unfolding against a backdrop of heightened international tension.

Despite initial optimism, specific details about the potential dialogue remain unclear. Various European capitals, from Geneva and Vienna to Budapest and Istanbul, have been floated as potential hosts for the event. Each of these locations would carry its own symbolic weight for a meeting that is awaited with huge interest by the global community.

Behind the scenes of high diplomacy, US President Donald Trump stated that he has already "begun preparations" for the meeting. He made it clear that he was convinced of Putin's agreement during a phone call on Monday. However, this quick and decisive announcement may be the result of an overly optimistic interpretation of the conversation.

The tension is also palpable in the fact that Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy have not met face-to-face since 2019. This was three years before Russia began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which further complicated bilateral relations. The lack of direct contact between the two leaders for such a long time underscores the depth of existing disagreements and turns any attempt at dialogue into an extremely delicate undertaking.