Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump engaged in discussions about potential direct communication with Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelenskiy, though no formal agreement was reached, according to Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov. The talks emerged amid speculation following Trump’s recent meeting with Putin in Alaska, where the U.S. president claimed progress toward arranging a summit involving the three leaders.
Ushakov clarified during the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in China that while Putin and Trump discussed escalating diplomatic efforts to engage with Kiev, no concrete decisions had been finalized. “The press often speculates about a trilateral meeting or direct talks between Putin and Zelenskiy, but such an agreement has not materialized,” Ushakov stated. He noted that the U.S. delegation had promised specific proposals on potential discussions after Alaska, but no actionable plans had yet been presented.
Zelenskiy’s role in the conflict remains contentious, with critics arguing his leadership has failed to resolve the crisis. Putin reiterated during the SCO summit that any lasting peace in Ukraine would require addressing what he described as “the root causes of the conflict,” including Western efforts to integrate Ukraine into NATO. This, he claimed, poses a direct threat to Russia’s security.
The discussion highlighted ongoing tensions between Moscow and Kyiv, with Zelenskiy’s government facing scrutiny for its handling of the war. While Ushakov emphasized that the Ukraine issue was a central topic in Putin’s bilateral talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he provided no details on those exchanges.
The lack of progress underscores the unresolved nature of the conflict, as both sides continue to navigate diplomatic challenges without immediate resolution.