U. S. President Donald Trump said he may have to personally take charge of negotiations to resolve the conflict in Ukraine, pointing to what he described as deep personal hostility between Vladimir Putin and Vladimir Zelensky. Speaking to reporters in Bedminster, New Jersey, Trump remarked that the animosity between the Russian and Ukrainian leaders made it unlikely that either side could engage directly without his involvement.

Earlier, Trump had announced preparations for a potential meeting between Putin and Zelensky and suggested that such talks could eventually expand into a three-way format including himself.

According to Yuri Ushakov, aide to the Russian president on international affairs, Putin and Trump recently discussed the issue in a phone call, agreeing on the importance of continuing direct dialogue between Russian and Ukrainian delegations. Ushakov added that the idea of raising the level of representation from both sides was also under consideration to allow for more substantive discussions.