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US President Donald Trump speaks at a National Purple Heart Day event in the East Room of the White House. Photo: Mark Schiefelbein/AP/dpa
Keystone
US President Donald Trump is not demanding that the Kremlin leader meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky beforehand for a meeting with Vladimir Putin. When asked by journalists whether Putin would have to meet with Selensky first, Trump said: "No."
Trump and Putin are expected to meet in person for the first time next week for talks on ending Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine. Both sides declared that the time was ripe for such a summit. The date and venue have not yet been set.
What about the deadline?
The US President has left open how he will deal with his self-imposed ultimatum to Putin on sanctions against Russia's trading partners. The 10-day deadline has been running since July 29. A ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, which has been attacked by Moscow, is to be achieved by the end of this period. Otherwise, Trump wants to impose penalties on Russia's trading partners - he has already announced additional tariffs against India.
When asked whether the deadline still stands, Trump said of Putin: "We'll see what he has to say. It's totally up to him."
Russia has been waging a destructive war of aggression against Ukraine for more than three years. Trump has repeatedly stated that he wants to end the war quickly. It would be the first personal meeting between a sitting US president and Putin since the summer of 2021, when Trump's Democratic predecessor Joe Biden met the Kremlin leader in Geneva.
08.08.2025, 02:57
