Trump Says Zelensky and Putin Will Meet, but Russia Demurs

President Trump said Friday that Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will hold peace talks, but Russia said not to expect that soon. "It's going to happen," Trump told reporters, the Washington Post reports. "But it should have happened three months ago. It's going to happen." Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that the peace proposals from both sides on the table now are "diametrically opposed," and that any sit-down can't take place until the last stages of negotiations are reached. He suggested that will take longer than a month.

Given the pace, Trump said, "It could be that we'll have to put secondary sanctions on" Russia—possibly ahead of the 50-day deadline he imposed on Putin's government. Ukraine and Russia just wrapped up their third round of negotiations in Turkey, agreeing on more exchanges of prisoners but not on a ceasefire. The deadline could just be giving Russia more time to press its attacks in order to wear down Ukraine's defenses and damage morale, per the Hill, before settling. The Institute for the Study of War, a think tank, said that's its conclusion, saying more fighting also could help Russia win more concessions when it does go to the table.