Trump says Putin-Zelenskyy meeting to be arranged soon

US President Donald Trump said a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy would be arranged “very soon,” while declining to rule out further US strikes on Iran after next week’s midterm elections.

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One after returning from campaign rallies in Texas early Wednesday, Trump said he had discussed both conflicts with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff.

“I think with Russia we’re making a lot of progress with Russia-Ukraine. There’ll be a meeting set up very soon,” Trump said.

Asked who would participate, he named Putin and Zelenskyy but provided no details on the meeting’s timing, location or format.

Direct meeting would mark a major step

Russia and Ukraine last held US-mediated peace negotiations earlier this year, with three rounds of talks in January and February in Abu Dhabi and Geneva.

A direct meeting between Putin and Zelenskyy would be unprecedented since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Trump did not outline any specific breakthroughs or explain what progress had been made toward arranging the proposed meeting.

Trump keeps Iran strike option open

Turning to Iran, Trump said Tehran wanted to reach an agreement with Washington but was delaying negotiations, potentially until after the Nov. 3 US midterm elections.

“I think with Iran, we’re in a very good position. It’s a question of, when do I want to end it?” he said.

Asked whether the United States could launch additional strikes against Iran after the elections, Trump declined to provide a definitive answer.

“Anything’s possible, but I can’t tell you,” he said.

The conflict between Washington and Tehran began with US-Israeli strikes on Iran in late February, triggering a wider regional confrontation. Despite a ceasefire and an agreement to finalise a peace deal, the conflict remains unresolved.

Source:AA