Putin promises to meet with Zelenskyy in coming weeks, White House says

The Russian dictator Vladimir Putin promised to meet with the president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said during the press conference.

When asked by a journalist whether Putin had promised to hold a meeting in the coming weeks, the official replied in the affirmative.

She also noted that the trilateral meeting between Zelenskyy, Putin, and US president Donald Trump will take place "if necessary" after a bilateral meeting between Ukraine and Russia.

"As the president noted, the vice president Vance, secretary of state Rubio, and a special envoy Witkoff will continue to coordinate with Russia and Ukraine to ensure that this happens as soon as possible. It is very important to remember that until President Trump's landslide victory last November, there was no end in sight to this bloodshed. Now, at last, there may be light at the end of the tunnel and an opportunity for lasting peace," Leavitt said.

At the same time, she refused to answer questions about the possibility of holding such a summit in Budapest or Moscow, as previously reported by the media.

"But I can tell you that our national security team is discussing many options with both sides right now... we will provide you with more information as soon as we can," the White House spokeswoman said.

• Meanwhile, Switzerland has announced that it is ready to host a meeting between Zelenskyy and Putin, as proposed by French President Macron. However, the country needs to resolve a number of legal issues, in view of the arrest warrant for the Russian dictator, issued by the International Criminal Court.
• However, in September 2024, during Putin's visit, Mongolia was able to ignore this order.