Prospects for Russia-Ukraine summit fade as Trump wavers on mediation

The possibility of a Russia-Ukraine summit dimmed Friday as U.S. President Donald Trump appeared to lose momentum in peace efforts, while Moscow dismissed calls for direct talks to end the protracted conflict.

Trump had raised hopes earlier in the week by announcing that Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had agreed to meet. But by Friday, he likened the two leaders to “oil and vinegar,” signaling frustration with stalled diplomacy.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov confirmed that “no meeting” was planned, casting doubt on Trump’s mediation. Zelensky, meanwhile, accused Moscow of deliberately prolonging the war.

Speaking in the Oval Office, Trump said he would make an “important” decision within two weeks on Ukraine, ranging from “massive sanctions or massive tariffs” on Russia to “doing nothing.”

“It takes two to tango,” the US president, wearing a red baseball cap saying “Trump was right about everything.

“In two weeks, we will know which way I’m going. Because I will go one way or the other, and I’ll learn which way I’m going,” he added.

“That’s whether or not it’s massive sanctions or massive tariffs or both. Or do we do nothing and say it’s your fight.”

While Trump floated inviting Putin to the 2026 FIFA World Cup finals in the United States if progress is made, Lavrov stressed that an agenda for direct talks “is not ready at all.” Zelensky, speaking alongside visiting NATO chief Mark Rutte, countered that Ukraine had “no agreements with the Russians.”

The debate over security guarantees for Kyiv remains central. Trump has claimed Russia accepted some Western-backed assurances, but Moscow called such discussions “a road to nowhere.” Zelensky insisted future guarantees must ensure Russia “will never ever again attempt to take one square kilometer of Ukraine.”

Russia has previously violated international security commitments, notably the 1994 Budapest Memorandum and its pledge to respect Ukraine’s sovereignty before seizing Crimea in 2014 and launching a full-scale invasion in 2022.

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