According to the Kremlin, the goal of a possible Putin-Trump-Zelenskyy summit as part of efforts to resolve the conflict between Russia and Ukraine should be limited to finalizing the agreements under negotiation.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Monday that a trilateral meeting attended by Russian President Vladimir Putin, U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy could be held only for this purpose. Peskov said such a summit had been on the agenda for a long time.
The statement came after media reports said that CIA Director John Ratcliffe had proposed a trilateral meeting during his visit to Moscow last week. The proposal was conveyed in those media reports.
The Kremlin wants an agreement outcome from the summit
Peskov said the agreements in question were not limited to a simple understanding but involved a complex settlement process containing numerous details.
Calling a meeting at which the three leaders would discuss only the details of a possible settlement "completely pointless," Peskov stressed that the summit's concrete objective should be to finalize the agreements.
The Kremlin spokesperson also accused the authorities in Kyiv of failing to take part in a genuine effort to reach a settlement. The Kremlin had previously said that comprehensive preparations were needed before a trilateral summit and that the meeting should take place after progress had been made in the negotiations.
Referendum on agenda for Putin-Pashinyan meeting
Peskov also provided information about the agenda for a meeting between Putin and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, scheduled to take place in Bishkek on August 31 and September 1.
Peskov said the meeting would address Armenia's planned referendum on its future relations with the European Union and the Eurasian Economic Union, adding that Putin would once again present Moscow's rationale on the issue.
