Trump to Meet Putin Amid Ukraine Conflict
WASHINGTON – On Friday, President Trump indicated that he would soon have a one-on-one meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, aiming to find a resolution to the ongoing 41-month invasion of Ukraine.
“We’re organizing a meeting starting with Russia, and the location will be announced soon,” Trump commented to reporters at the White House.
He added, “I think this location will be quite popular, but for various reasons, we’ll reveal it later.”
No specific dates have been set, though Trump mentioned that it would take place “quickly.” He also noted, “It would have been much sooner, but, unfortunately, there are security arrangements that need to be made.”
The announcement of a private meeting with Putin has raised concerns among Ukrainians who spoke with the Post. However, Trump’s remarks gave them a glimmer of hope that the terms being discussed, often described as the Kremlin’s “wish list,” wouldn’t be imposed.
This potential agreement allegedly asked Ukraine to concede Crimea along with the Donetsk and Luhansk regions entirely.
These emerging agreements not only contradict U.S. laws but also conflict with the Ukrainian constitution, which prohibits any formal recognition of foreign claims to its territory.
American federal agencies are legally barred from acknowledging Russian sovereignty claims, making it complicated to lift Ukraine-related sanctions without Congressional approval, according to another U.S. source.
“Recognition, particularly when it comes to sanctions relief, will be quite challenging,” the source remarked.
On the same day, Zelensky expressed surprise, questioning how he could possibly navigate discussions with Putin without needing Congress’s permission or a national referendum for any concessions.
“To be fair to President Zelensky, he has what he needs if he’s making strides,” Trump said.
Trump, 79, had previously set a deadline for Putin to either reach a ceasefire with Ukraine or face secondary sanctions linked to Russia’s energy sales.
Earlier this week, the President also announced a 25% tariff on India, set to take effect on August 27th.
As of 5 PM on Friday, no additional sanctions had been disclosed.
