The forthcoming three-way summit involving US President Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and Russian President Vladimir Putin is likely to occur in Europe, as indicated by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Saturday, reports 24brussels.
In an interview with NTV and RTL, Merz expressed confidence that the meeting would be realized, although the specifics regarding the date and location remain under discussion. “We have proposed that a place could be found in Europe,” he stated.
Trump, following his recent summit with Putin in Alaska focusing on the situation in Ukraine, emphasized the importance of including Zelensky in the upcoming discussions. After his conversation with Putin failed to achieve progress on a ceasefire, Trump indicated a renewed interest in negotiating a comprehensive peace agreement.
However, a significant barrier for Putin entering Europe is the pending International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant, linked to accusations of orchestrating the mass abduction of Ukrainian children amid the ongoing war. While the United States is not bound by the ICC’s jurisdiction, Hungary, led by Prime Minister Viktor Orban, is currently withdrawing from the ICC’s founding treaty, creating a complex legal backdrop.
Merz proposed that the potential European venue for the summit should be a location conducive to sustained discussions, though he refrained from specifying any particular country or city. “Those are detailed issues. They will only be clarified in the coming days, or even coming weeks,” he added.
