Putin-Trump summit: what we know so far

When US President Donald Trump shook hands with Russia's President Vladimir Putin at the end of a joint press conference after a meeting at the Presidential Palace in Helsinki, on July 16, 2018. [AFP] US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin are set to hold talks in a bid to end the war in Ukraine, triggered by Russia's February 2022 invasion. Trump has spent his first months in office trying to broker peace -- after boasting he could end the war in 24 hours -- though multiple rounds of peace talks, phone calls and diplomatic visits have failed to yield a breakthrough. Here is what we know about the summit so far: When? Both sides have confirmed preparations for a summit are underway and that a meeting could take place next week -- though no firm date has been set. Trump said Wednesday that a face-to-face meeting with Putin could occur "very soon." "They would like to meet with me, and I'll do whatever I can to stop the killing," he then said on Thursday, speaking of both Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Putin said Thursday "both sides showed interest" in a US-Russia top-level meeting, while Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said "next week has been set as a target date." Will Zelensky be involved? Zelensky is pushing to make it a three-way summit and has frequently said meeting Putin is the only way to make progress towards peace. Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff proposed a trilateral meeting when he held talks with Putin earlier this week, but the Russian leader has appeared to rule out meeting his Ukrainian counterpart. "I have nothing against it in general, it is possible, but certain conditions must be created for this. But unfortunately, we are still far from creating such conditions," Putin told reporters Thursday. At talks in Istanbul in June, Russian negotiators said a Putin-Zelensky meeting could only take place at the "final phase" of negotiations, once the two sides had agreed terms for peace. Asked if Putin had to meet Zelensky as a prerequisite for their summit, Trump said: "No, he doesn't." Where? There is no confirmed venue yet. The Kremlin's Ushakov said both sides have agreed the place "in principle", but did not name a host, while Washington rejected reports a venue had been agreed. Putin named the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as a potential contender, calling the Gulf state "one of the quite suitable places". Turkey -- which hosted three rounds of Ukraine-Russia talks this year -- is also in the running, as is Saudi Arabia, where US officials held separate talks with Russian and Ukrainian diplomats in February and March. China has been mentioned in media reports as a possible venue, amid speculation both Trump and Putin could travel there in early September, with Xi Jinping playing host. The Kremlin last month did not rule out such a meeting. Ukraine's allies and NATO members -- like Finland, where Putin and Trump met for a summit in 2018 -- are seen as unlikely candidates. The International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant for Putin, which obligates members to detain the Russian leader if he visits their country, could also restrict possible venues. Negotiating positions Despite the flurry of diplomacy and multiple rounds of peace talks, Russia and Ukraine appear no closer to agreeing an end to the fighting. Putin has rejected calls by the United States, Ukraine and Europe for an immediate ceasefire. At talks in June, Russia demanded Ukraine pull its forces out of four regions Moscow claims to have annexed, demanded Ukraine commit to being a neutral state, shun Western military support and be excluded from joining NATO. Kyiv wants an immediate ceasefire and has said it will never recognise Russian control over its sovereign territory -- though it acknowledged it would have to try to secure the return of land captured by Russia through diplomacy, not on the battlefield. Kyiv is also seeking security guarantees from its Western backers, including the deployment of foreign troops as a peacekeeping contingent to enforce any ceasefire.

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