European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was not on the call with Trump, a spokesperson for the Commission said on Thursday. However, she received extensive briefs from several EU leaders.
The Kremlin confirmed on Thursday that a meeting between the two leaders is expected to take place “in the coming days.”
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated on Wednesday that following Special Envoy Steve Witkoff’s discussions with Putin, the U.S. government has gained insights into the conditions under which Moscow might be willing to conclude the ongoing conflict.
Rubio remarked, “We now have to compare that to what the Ukrainians and our European allies, but the Ukrainians primarily, of course, are willing to accept — and what you try to see is how far can you get these two positions closer.”
He added, “If we can get what the Ukrainians will accept and what the Russians will accept close enough, then I think there’s the opportunity for the president to have a meeting that includes both Putin and Zelenskyy to try to close this thing out.”
This diplomatic initiative follows Trump’s recent decision to impose an additional 25 percent tariff on India for purchasing Russian oil, thereby increasing pressure on Putin, reports 24brussels.
