US President Donald Trump, after meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Vladimir Zelensky, wants to assess the possibility of a dialogue between them without him. The American leader said this in an interview with journalist Mark Levin.
"I had a very successful meeting with President Putin. I had a very successful meeting with President Zelensky. And now I thought it would be better if they met without me, just to see, I want to see what happens," Trump quotes ABC News.
He added that, if necessary, he would join the Putin and Zelensky, in order for the parties to be able to come to an agreement.
"You know, there are difficult, very bad, very bad relations between them. And now we'll see how they go, and if it's necessary, and it probably will be, then I'll come and be able to finish the job," Trump said.
The Kremlin reported that the presidents of Russia and the United States supported direct talks between the delegations of Moscow and Kiev and allowed "the possibility of raising the level of representatives of the Ukrainian and Russian sides."
Putin said in early August that he would meet with Zelensky under "certain conditions," but, according to the Russian president, they are still far away.
Earlier, Reuters, citing a senior White House official, reported that a meeting between Putin and Zelensky could take place in Budapest. According to AFP, Putin offered Trump to arrange a meeting with Zelensky in Moscow, but Kiev refused this offer.