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Trump takes two weeks to decide whom to blame for stalling Ukraine talks

Washington is going to see whether or not Russian President Vladimir Putin and Vladimir Zelensky have a meeting, the US president said

WASHINGTON, August 22. /TASS/. US President Donald Trump said he intends to decide within two weeks who is responsible for stalling peace talks on Ukraine.

"I'll see whose fault it is. <...> I know exactly what I'm doing. We're going to see whether or not they [Russian President Vladimir Putin and Vladimir Zelensky] have a meeting. That'll be interesting to see. And if they don't, why don't have a meeting? Because I told them to have a meeting. I'll know in two weeks what I'm going to do," he said, answering questions from reporters at the White House.

Trump held a meeting with Zelensky and several European leaders on resolving the Ukraine conflict in the White House on August 18, following his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on August 15. The talks involved Finnish President Alexander Stubb, French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, as well as European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.

The White House hosted such a large number of top leaders simultaneously for the first time in history. This unprecedented lineup of participants, which underscores the importance of the issue under discussion, was also highlighted by the US president.

In addition, Trump held a phone call with Putin during the meeting. According to the US leader, they discussed, among other things, the prospects for a meeting between Putin and Zelensky, followed by trilateral talks. Russian Presidential Aide Yury Ushakov said that the leaders of Russia and the United States spoke in favor of continuing direct talks between Moscow and Kiev, including the possibility of elevating their level.

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Ukraine crisis United States Donald Trump

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