Plans for a summit between Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky and Russia’s Vladimir Putin are faltering, shortly after Donald Trump expressed confidence it could occur soon. Cities like Geneva, Vienna, Budapest, or Istanbul were considered as locations. The two leaders haven’t met since 2019, before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The US president indicated that he had “begun arrangements” for the summit, suggesting a phone agreement with Putin. However, the Kremlin released a more ambiguous version, mentioning talks between Trump and Putin on increasing “the level of representatives,” which might mean involving ministers instead of envoys.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz believed a meeting could happen within two weeks, but questioned Putin’s willingness to attend and suggested persuasion. Trump hinted at consequences for Russia should Putin not engage in peace talks, without specifying further.
As diplomatic enthusiasm wanes, the likelihood of a Putin-Zelensky meeting is decreasing. Moscow seems open to bilateral talks, but the conditions proposed are likely unacceptable to Ukraine. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated Putin is ready to meet Zelensky if “issues” requiring top-level discussion are resolved, using language that has historically deflected Ukrainian proposals for meetings.
Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff recently mentioned Russia’s acceptance of security guarantees for Ukraine as a significant step. However, these guarantees reflect previously rejected 2022 proposals, where Russia would have a veto over military interventions in Ukraine, and Western troops would be banned, leaving Ukraine vulnerable.
Zelensky insists any meeting with Putin would require security guarantees from Kyiv’s allies, including Western military support, excluding Russian involvement — conditions unacceptable to Moscow.
Currently, neither side seems willing to compromise, each blaming the other for stalling peace efforts.
The potential Putin-Zelensky summit seems unlikely, yet speculation about its location persists. After White House discussions, Budapest was suggested, with US favor. Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Sizjjarto welcomed the idea, despite Hungary’s perceived lack of neutrality due to Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s ties with Putin and policies opposing EU support for Ukraine.
Zelensky criticized Budapest as a venue, citing its unsupportive stance. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk opposed Budapest, recalling unfavorable past summits. France’s Emmanuel Macron suggested Switzerland, a neutral venue for high-stakes talks, while Zelensky considered Vienna.
The ICC issued a warrant for Putin over war crimes in 2023, but Switzerland and Austria would grant immunity for peace talks. Turkey, having hosted previous Ukraine-Russia talks, was also considered, as were the Vatican and Saudi Arabia, the latter having brokered prisoner exchanges.
Meanwhile, the conflict continues unabated. Ukraine’s forces attacked an oil refinery in Russia’s Rostov region, while Russia launched significant strikes on Ukraine, resulting in casualties. Zelensky emphasized the need for continued pressure on Moscow to pursue meaningful negotiations and end the war.