Trump says a trilateral summit with him, Putin and Zelensky ‘will happen’, but war may continue ‘a little longer’

“A tri would happen. A bi, I don’t know about, but a tri will happen,” Trump told the Daily Caller. “But you know, sometimes people aren’t ready for it.”

Bilateral talks uncertain

Trump poured cold water on the possibility of a direct bilateral meeting between Putin and Zelensky to lay the groundwork for peace, suggesting that tensions may need to continue before leaders are ready to negotiate.

“I use the analogy. I’ve used it a couple of times. You have a child, and there’s another child in the lot, in the playground, and they hate each other, and they start swinging, swinging and swinging, and you want them to stop, and they keep going,” Trump said. “After a little while, they’re very happy to stop. … Sometimes they have to fight for a little bit before you can get them to stop.”

Concern over ongoing bloodshed

Trump also expressed concern about the ongoing toll of the conflict. “But this has been going on for a long time. A lot of people are dead,” he said. “I’d like to see something get solved. They’re not our soldiers, but there are five to 7,000, mostly young people, being killed every single week.”

Separate meetings with leaders

Trump has previously met with Putin and Zelensky separately to explore possible terms for ending the war. While Ukraine reportedly agreed to a US-backed ceasefire proposal, Russia has refused to make concessions.

Putin has repeatedly rejected proposals to meet directly with Zelensky, claiming the Ukrainian leader is illegitimate after elections were suspended due to the Russian invasion. Moscow has suggested lower-level officials meet first to negotiate the details of a peace deal before a full summit.

Zelensky rejects Russian proposal

Ukraine’s president dismissed the idea of preparatory talks led by lower-level officials, calling it a stalling tactic by Russia. “They want to show the United States that they are constructive, but they are not constructive,” Zelensky said on Friday. “In my opinion, leaders must urgently be involved to reach agreements.”