GENEVA, August 19. /TASS/. The probability that a summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Vladimir Zelensky will take place in Geneva is below 50%, Thomas Greminger, former OSCE secretary general and director of the Geneva Centre for Security Policy told Neue Z·rcher Zeitung paper.

"The Europeans seem to assume that Switzerland, at least, will not have a negative impact on such negotiations. But the probability that the meeting will take place on Swiss soil is significantly less than 50%," the diplomat believes.

According to the newspaper, European plans for a Geneva summit are only dreams at the moment.

"Representatives of the Coalition of the Willing prefer Switzerland, probably only because they can have more influence here than, for example, in Turkey or in Arab countries," the publication believes.

On Tuesday, Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis said that the confederation is ready to organize a meeting between Russia and Ukraine as soon as possible. Earlier, French President Emmanuel Macron called Geneva a possible venue for such a meeting.

On Monday, US President Donald Trump received Zelensky, President of Finland Alexander Stubb, France’s Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, head of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. This is the first time that such a large number of top-level executives were simultaneously represented at the White House. This unprecedented composition of participants, testifying to the importance of the issue under discussion, was also noted by the American leader.

During the meeting, Trump called Putin to discuss prospects for a meeting between the Russian leader and Zelensky, and later trilateral negotiations. According to Presidential Aide Yury Ushakov, the leaders of Russia and the United States supported continuation of direct consultations between Moscow and Kiev, including raising their level.