Russia assumes bilateral talks between Putin and Zelensky, but delays them

Washington / LondonThe hangover the day after Trump's meeting with Zelensky and European leaders has given way to vagueness. The more one digs into the two major announcements that came out of the White House on Monday—security guarantees for Ukraine and a future bilateral meeting between Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky—the more tensions rise. This Tuesday morning, the US president ruled out sending US troops to Ukraine as a security guarantee, and the Kremlin was stalling over the face-to-face meeting between the Russian and Ukrainian presidents. At noon, US press secretary Karoline Leavitt reaffirmed Trump's refusal and spoke of a commitment based on "helping with coordination and perhaps providing other things to European allies." The assurance Leavitt offered regarding Putin's willingness to speak with Zelensky is yesterday's phone call.

"[Trump] spoke with him directly yesterday," Leavitt told reporters. From Moscow, Putin's Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, was much more cautious when confirming the bilateral meeting between the two presidents, stressing that "any contact involving heads of state must be thoroughly prepared." Speaking on the state channel Rossiya-24, Lavrov assured that Russia is open to meetings in both bilateral and trilateral formats. "The key point is that these formats should not be held solely for media coverage or the evening news," Lavrov said.

Lavrov stressed that such meetings "must start at the expert level and then go through all the necessary stages to prepare for summits." "This is the kind of serious approach that we will always support," he added, in further evidence of how Moscow wants to play with the pace.

Some analysts familiar with Russian diplomacy, mentioned by the BBC, are betting that the meeting, if it does take place, could be held in September, but always with a prior meeting between Sergei Lavrov and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. According to White House sources, Political, Washington is reportedly eyeing Budapest as a possible venue for their first meeting. If confirmed, it would be a nod from Trump to Hungarian President Viktor Orbán, a friend of his.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has also aligned himself with Washington's views, asserting on social media that Zelensky and Putin will meet face to face.

A controversial photo

Doubts about Putin's willingness to meet with Zelensky are legitimate. Since negotiations to end the war began, Moscow has avoided taking photos with Kiev at the same table. Similarly, when Trump managed to secure a minimal truce with Putin in Ukraine, a few days later Russian missiles once again attacked Ukrainian electrical infrastructure, and the pause was shattered.

Trump told Fox this morning that he trusts the Russian leader's behavior will be "positive." Otherwise, it will be a "complicated situation." Trump also commented that he hopes Zelensky "will do what he must do," and stressed that he must be "flexible" in the negotiations. In any case, it is the two leaders who "must make the decisions," he emphasized.

Although uncertainty about the possible summit continues, premier Starmer has taken it for granted, and in his message after the Washington summit has commented: "There will now be a bilateral meeting between President Putin and President Zelensky, followed by a trilateral meeting with President Trump." For his part, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz indicated that the meeting could take place in two weeks.

Even the more skeptical French President Emmanuel Macron assured TF1 that the bilateral meeting is "more than a hypothesis" and suggested Geneva as the venue. Switzerland, in turn, has announced that it would grant the Russian leader immunity from the international arrest warrant that weighs on him.

In any case, the possibility – still remote according to some analysts – of a meeting between Zelensky and Putin is "very important," in the words of Starmer, "because it represents a real recognition of the principle that no decision on Ukraine should be taken without Ukraine," he added. premier, who praised the initiative and Monday's summit at the White House, calling it an "important step forward."

Kiev may finally gain symbolic recognition as a legitimate interlocutor in the conflict; the question is whether this recognition will come too late for Zelensky to truly negotiate properly. On Monday at the White House, the Ukrainian leader expressed openness to negotiating territorial concessions with Putin. Zelensky had traded the military uniform he so criticized Trump for in February for a jacket and shirt. The change in attire reflects the evolution of Ukraine's position in the peace negotiations since the Republican returned to the White House.

Vague security guarantees

European leaders joined forces with the White House to pressure Trump and secure a firm commitment from Washington to Ukraine's security once a peace agreement is reached. Europe's great fear is that Russia could try to invade the country again if it is not properly protected. While Trump on Monday seemed open to the idea of sending US troops to the region, he reversed himself on Tuesday on Fox. One of his major campaign promises was to withdraw the US from international conflicts, and sending troops to Ukraine would be highly unpopular.

"What kind of guarantee do you have, going forward, after this administration, that there won't be American boots defending the border of Ukraine?" a Fox reporter asked. "You have my guarantee, I'm the president," Trump responded. In return, the Republican vaguely mentioned alleged air aid and stressed that Europe should be the first line of defense when it comes to Ukraine's security commitment, but that the United States would also help. "We're willing to help them with various things, especially if we could talk about air support, because no one has the type of equipment we have," the Republican said.

During the talks on security guarantees, it has been suggested that this commitment be similar to NATO's Article 5, in which all allies commit to intervene if one of their members is attacked. When asked by the press secretary if she could elaborate on what this replication of Article 5 would look like in the case of Ukraine, Leavitt avoided giving a concrete answer: "These are sensitive diplomatic issues that are still being discussed. So I'll leave that to the national security team and the president."

Similarly, when asked how Trump will ensure that the commitment to Ukraine's security continues beyond his presidency, the White House spokeswoman responded vaguely. Amid all this, it also remains to be seen whether Moscow will ultimately accept the Western military presence in Ukraine of the peacekeepers offered by France and the United Kingdom.

For now, the only clear thing is what deal Washington will make with this whole issue.Financial TimesAfter the summit, he explained that Kiev will purchase, with European funding, a $100 billion arms package from the US. He also said that the United States would purchase drones from Ukraine worth $50 billion.