Putin and Trump support direct talks between Russia and Ukraine

The starting point for ending the conflict in Ukraine is security guarantees for Kyiv, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said following talks at the White House, according to the Financial Times. “In a Monday evening statement, Zelenskyy noted that security guarantees are ‘the main issue, the starting point for ending the war,’” the newspaper reports.

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte stated that a group of 30 countries, including Japan and Australia, is working on developing security guarantees for Ukraine as part of conflict resolution efforts.

On Aug. 18, U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Zelenskyy met at the White House. In addition, several European leaders participated, including European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte.

Trump also held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin following his meeting with Zelenskyy and the European leaders at the White House. Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov stated that Putin and Trump supported holding direct negotiations between the Russian and Ukrainian delegations.

The U.S. president said he has already begun preparing for a meeting with Putin and Zelenskyy. According to Trump, his meeting with the Russian and Ukrainian leaders will take place after their bilateral talks. Axios reports that Trump hopes to arrange a meeting between Putin and Zelenskyy before the end of August.