Trump Proposes Direct Talks With Putin and Xi While Criticizing Zelenskyy

Leaders Talk

US President Donald Trump stated on Monday that he plans to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping. The proposed discussion aims to find a way to end the war in Ukraine.

Potential Exclusion

Trump indicated that the meeting between the major world powers might occur without Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy taking part. When leaving the White House for a campaign event in Kansas, Trump told reporters he would pursue any path to stop the conflict regardless of who is in the room. He also noted that Russia and China have done very little to help Tehran, despite accusations that both nations support Iran's military actions against the United States.

Criticism of Kyiv

Trump strongly criticized Zelenskyy after the Ukrainian leader attacked his recent choice to drop new sanctions against Russia and claimed Trump is on the wrong side of history. Trump stated that Zelenskyy lacks understanding of the situation and should have resolved the conflict much earlier. He repeated his earlier demand that Kyiv replace its current leader with someone new to handle negotiations.

Context

High-level diplomatic talks between global superpowers often bypass local leadership during intense geopolitical negotiations. Discussions involving the US, Russia, and China carry massive weight in determining the outcome of major international conflicts.