Trump on Zelensky's meeting with Putin: I will watch for two weeks, then intervene very decisively

President of the United States Donald Trump said he would follow the talks between the Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the Russian dictator Vladimir Putin within one to two weeks, after which he is ready to "intervene very decisively" if a peace agreement is not reached. He said this said during a joint press conference with South Korean President Lee Jae-in.

The US chief of staff also reiterated that Russia could face serious consequences if Putin does not agree to a meeting with Zelensky.

"This could have very serious consequences (for Russia – ed.), but we'll see what happens next. Maybe the consequences will be very serious, because this is something that has to end," Trump said.

The US president did not specify what these consequences might be.

"We're either going to make a deal or we're not," the US president added.

On the same day, Trump said during a meeting with journalists that Putin did not want to meet with Zelensky, because he doesn't like him.

He also called Ukraine's war with Russia a "conflict of personalities."

• on August 19, Politico wrote that the White House plans to hold in Budapest a possible meeting between Zelensky, Trump, and Putin.
• on August 20, President Zelensky said that his possible meeting with Putin should be in a neutral country in Europenoting that Ukraine agrees to hold the summit in Austria or Switzerland.
• on August 21, The Guardian wrote that Trump to walk away from negotiations about peace in Ukraine to wait for the meeting between Zelensky and Putin.