Assistant to the President of Russia Yuri Ushakov announced the possibility of considering the issue of raising the level of representatives in the negotiations between Ukraine and the Russian Federation. This statement came after a phone call between Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump that took place on the night of August 19.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Preparation for the Meeting of Putin, Zelensky, and Trump
Donald Trump, the President of the United States, announced on his social media platform Truth Social that preparations have already begun for a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The location of this meeting is currently being finalized. The American leader also noted that following this meeting, a trilateral negotiation is planned involving both presidents and himself personally.
“During the phone conversation, Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump expressed support for continuing direct negotiations between the delegations of Russia and Ukraine. In this regard, the idea was discussed that it would be worth exploring the possibility of raising the level of representatives from both the Ukrainian and Russian sides participating in the negotiations,” Ushakov said in an operational comment to the Russian state agency “RIA Novosti.”
Positions of the Parties and the Role of European Allies
Before Trump’s announcement, important negotiations took place in Washington: first, Ukrainian-American talks involving Volodymyr Zelensky, and then multilateral discussions that included leaders from the European Union, NATO, and major European countries.
During these discussions, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz emphasized the need to achieve a ceasefire as the first step towards a fair peace agreement to end Russia’s war against Ukraine. At the same time, Donald Trump expressed a different opinion, believing that a peace agreement could be reached without a prior ceasefire.
Ukraine confirmed its readiness for trilateral negotiations involving the U.S. President and the leader of Russia. This was stated by Volodymyr Zelensky at the beginning of his communication with the press at the White House on August 18, prior to the official negotiations with Trump.
Volodymyr Zelensky also reported that he arrived in Washington with the support of key European allies for a meeting with Donald Trump, and one of the priorities on the agenda is obtaining reliable security guarantees from the U.S. regarding protection against further Russian aggression.
Earlier, on August 15, negotiations between Putin and Trump took place in Alaska, focusing on the issue of ending Russia’s war against Ukraine. No specific agreements were reported following this meeting.