#TRUMP #putin #Zelenskyy
Trump says would meet Putin without Zelensky sit-down
US President Donald Trump said Thursday he would meet with Vladimir Putin for upcoming talks on the Ukraine war even if the Russian leader had not sat down with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The statement, which contradicted earlier reports that a Putin-Zelensky meeting was a prerequisite for the summit, came after Trump gave Moscow until Friday to reach a ceasefire or face fresh sanctions.
But asked by reporters in the Oval Office if that deadline still held, Trump did not answer clearly.
It's going to be up to (Putin)," Trump said. "We're going to see what he has to say."
Since returning to the White House in January, Trump has been pressuring Moscow to end Russia's military assault on Ukraine.
The Kremlin said Thursday that Putin was set to attend a summit with Trump in the "coming days," but the Russian leader essentially ruled out including Zelensky.