Trump Predicts Trilateral Talks With Putin and Zelensky, Says War May Drag On Before Peace
Donald Trump has hinted at a future three-way summit with Putin and Zelensky to discuss peace.
He said only a trilateral meeting is realistic, but not until the war drags on.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump has said a three-way meeting involving himself, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will eventually take place, but not until the conflict continues for some time.
In an interview with the Daily Caller, Trump dismissed the possibility of a direct Putin–Zelensky meeting, insisting that only a trilateral summit with his participation is realistic. “A three-way meeting will happen; a two-way, I’m not so sure. But people have to be ready first,” he said.
Trump revealed that he has already met separately with both leaders to hear their positions on ending the war. Ukraine has shown interest in a U.S.-mediated cease-fire plan, while Russia has refused to compromise and continues to reject Zelensky’s legitimacy, citing Kyiv’s suspension of elections during the war.
Moscow has floated the idea of lower-level talks before any summit, but Zelensky dismissed that as another delaying tactic, pointing to Russia’s ongoing missile and drone strikes.
Trump suggested his rapport with Putin could help push for negotiations, though he remarked that “maybe they need to fight a bit longer” before peace becomes possible. He likened the situation to children on a playground who must first exhaust themselves before agreeing to stop fighting.
The war, now in its third year, is considered Europe’s deadliest conflict since World War II. Estimates from the Center for Strategic and International Studies put total casualties at about 1.4 million, including roughly 250,000 Russian troops and 100,000 Ukrainian soldiers, with thousands more lives lost weekly.
Although Trump has ruled out deploying American forces to Ukraine, he indicated that U.S. air support might be considered after the war to strengthen Kyiv’s defenses.
