Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and President Trump in the Oval Office. (Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images)
A major theme — perhaps the major theme — of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s visit today to the White House is the possibility of it paving the way for a trilateral meeting between Zelensky, President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in the not-too-distant future.
“We are ready for trilateral,” Zelensky told reporters in the Oval Office.
“If we don’t have a trilat, then the fighting continues,” Trump agreed. “And if we do, we have a good chance — I think we have a trilat, there’s a good chance of maybe ending it.”
So if Zelensky wants a trilat, and Trump wants a trilat, then … who doesn’t want a trilat? So far, Putin has been the odd man out.
Why? Because the Russian leader has made it abundantly clear that he doesn’t view his Ukrainian counterpart — formerly a successful comedian on Russian and Ukrainian television — as legitimate.
Ukraine was scheduled to hold a presidential election in March or April 2024, concluding Zelensky’s first five-year term. The vote was postponed as the country’s constitution does not permit elections under martial law, which was declared on Feb. 24, 2022, at the onset of Russia’s full-scale invasion. The Ukrainian parliament has since extended martial law several times, at Zelensky’s request.
According to Putin — who has himself repeatedly altered the Russian Constitution in order to remain president — this makes Zelensky illegitimate.
Speaking in June, for instance, Putin said he was “ready to meet with everyone, including Zelensky” — but only after a peace deal had been negotiated. Then he dismissed the idea that he could negotiate with Zelensky.
“But that is not the question,” Putin continued. “The question is who will sign the documents.”
Skeptics have asked whether this is just another stalling tactic on Putin’s part as his forces continue to make advances on the battlefield. “Putin doesn’t want a deal,” Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut insisted over the weekend. “He doesn’t want peace.”
Trump said Monday that he will call Putin about a trilateral summit after his meeting with Zelensky and European leaders.