WASHINGTON, Oct 17 (KUNA) - US President Donald Trump said Friday that he would hold a second summit with Russian leader Vladimir Putin in Budapest to discuss bringing to a halt the Ukraine war.
In a joint press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky ahead of their meeting in the White House, President Trump said "It's going to be a double meeting," indicating that President Zelensky would not be present.
"But we will have the President Zelensky in touch. There's a lot of bad blood with the two presidents, and I'm not speaking out of turn when I say it," he said.
The president also said at the White House that he would be the "mediator president" and that he plans to "keep a little bit of distance" between the Russian and Ukrainian leaders.
"Three presidents and I'm the mediator president, and I'm mediating. Not an easy situation," Trump said.
"It's a lot easier when people understand each other, when they get together, when they like each other. We don't necessarily have that situation, as far as 'like' is concerned. Maybe it can turn around, maybe it can. But in the meantime, we'll have them keep a little bit of distance." For his part, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that bilateral security guarantees for Ukraine are the "most important thing for people in Ukraine." Asked about what concessions he is willing to make to end the war, the Ukrainian leader said: "First of all, I think we need to sit and speak. The second point, we need ceasefire." "The most important thing for people in Ukraine, (who) are under each days attacks, (is) to have really strong security guarantees. NATO is the best, but weapon is very important. Allies on our side is very important," Zelensky said at the White House alongside US President Donald Trump.
The Ukrainian leader added, "We want peace, Putin doesn't want. That's why we need pressure on him." Zelensky has insisted that Kyiv needs Tomahawk cruise missiles, a key topic the two leaders are set to discuss today.
He also appeared to suggest a trade of Ukrainian drones for US Tomahawks, saying that Ukraine had thousands of drones, but none of the long-range missiles.
"Ukraine has thousands of our production drones but we don't have Tomahawks. That's why we need Tomahawks." He continued; "They (US) can have our thousands of drones, that's where we can work together." Asked about the possibility of sending the Tomahawks to Ukraine, President Donald Trump said during opening remarks of a working lunch at the White House that it was a weapon that America "needs." "Hopefully they won't need it, hopefully we'll be able to get the war over without thinking about Tomahawks," he added.
President Donald Trump stopped short of offering a view Friday on whether Ukraine would need to cede territory as part of a peace settlement with Russia, the latest in a series of shifting opinions on the matter.
"You never know," he said. "War is very interesting. You never know. You just never know with war, war and peace, but you never know." Trump has taken divergent stances on the issue. Ahead of his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in August, he said "land swaps" would be necessary for the war to end.
Later, he changed his mind, saying he believed Ukraine could win back all the territory now occupied by Russia. (end) rsr.ibi