US-Russia-Ukraine Trilateral Summit: Expectations of a Peace Agreement

(Chinhphu.vn) - On August 16, the US news site Axios quoted a well-informed source as saying that in a phone call with European leaders after the US-Russia summit in Alaska, US President Donald Trump expressed his desire to hold a trilateral conference with Russia and Ukraine "as soon as possible", possibly on August 22. Russia has not yet commented.

US President Donald Trump in a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky - Photo: Getty

On the same day, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said that the US-Russia-Ukraine summit could be held in Europe. In an interview with NTV and RTL, Mr. Merz said: "I think such a trilateral meeting will take place. The date and location still need to be agreed. We have proposed finding a location in Europe."

However, an obstacle to this proposal is that Russian President Vladimir Putin is currently facing an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court (ICC) related to the conflict in Ukraine.

Immediately after the US-Russia summit in Alaska, President Trump confirmed that he and European leaders wanted another meeting with President Putin, this time with the participation of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. He also abandoned efforts to push for a temporary ceasefire, instead pursuing a comprehensive peace agreement – a major turnaround just hours after meeting with Mr. Putin.

A ceasefire had previously been a core demand of Washington, Kiev and European leaders. President Zelensky is scheduled to arrive in Washington on August 18. On his return flight, Mr Trump spoke by phone with Mr Zelensky and several European leaders, then declared: "They all agreed that the best way to end the conflict is to go straight to a peace agreement." He stressed that ceasefire agreements "are often not sustainable."

Summit with the US: Timely and very useful

According to RIA Novosti, on August 16, Russian President Vladimir Putin gave a positive assessment of the results of the summit with US President Donald Trump in Alaska, calling it a "timely and very useful" meeting. He said the discussions were "frank and informative" and expressed confidence that the event brought Russia "closer to the necessary solutions".

Mr Putin stressed that the focus of the discussion was on finding a "fair" solution to the conflict in Ukraine. According to Mr Putin, eliminating the root causes of the conflict must be the basis for an agreement. He acknowledged that Moscow has not had direct dialogue at the highest level like in Alaska for a long time and considered this an opportunity for Russia to express its position in a "calm and detailed" manner.

In a related development, the leaders of eight Nordic and Baltic countries (Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden) issued a joint statement supporting Ukraine and Mr. Trump’s mediation efforts. The statement stressed that peace must begin with a ceasefire and security guarantees for Kiev, and welcomed the US’s willingness to participate in providing these guarantees.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney also welcomed the US stance, emphasizing that "solid and reliable security guarantees are essential for any just and sustainable peace", and appreciated Washington's readiness to participate in providing these guarantees within the framework of the Coalition of the Voluntary.

Source: https://baochinhphu.vn/thuong-dinh-3-ben-my-nga-ukraine-ky-vong-mot-thoa-thuan-hoa-binh-102250817101647084.htm