According to NBC News, after Putin said he would not be attending the meeting between Russia and Ukraine in the wake of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky agreeing to meet with the Russian president, Trump told reporters: “Look, nothing’s gonna happen until Putin and I get together, okay?” He added that Putin did not go to the meeting because Trump was not going to be there. “He wasn’t going if I wasn’t there.”
Putin had suggested that a direct meeting between Russia and Ukraine take place after allies to Ukraine had pressured Russia to agree to a ceasefire for peace talks. Instead of agreeing to a ceasefire, Putin said he wanted to have "direct talks" with Ukraine in Turkey. After Zelensky agreed to the meeting, Trump had said that he may attend if it was helpful for peace negotiations.
Although the prospect of a three-way meeting with Trump, Putin, and Zelensky appeared to be a possibility after the back and forth between the leaders this past weekend, the meeting did not ultimately take place, with Putin opting to send a junior delegation at the last minute.
Trump has also said that he is mulling over additional sanctions on Russia, as Putin has been blocking efforts to reach a peace agreement with a ceasefire.
Zelensky wrote on X in response to Putin’s no-show, “Today, Russia once again demonstrated that it does not intend to end the war, having sent a delegation of rather low-level representatives. Moreover, such a Russian approach is a sign of disrespect — toward the world and all partners. We expect a clear and strong response from partners.”
