As the deadline for a summit between Ukraine and Russia proposed by U.S. President Donald Trump approaches in two days, Trump expressed doubt about the possibility of a summit between the two countries.
In an interview with the conservative U.S. media outlet Daily Caller, released on the 30th (local time), Trump said, "There will be a trilateral meeting (between the U.S., Russia, and Ukraine)," while stating, "I don't know about a bilateral meeting (between Russia and Ukraine)."
This is because peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine show no signs of progress. Despite Trump's proposals for a summit, Russia has been bombarding various locations in Ukraine. According to the Associated Press, on the 30th (local time), Russia conducted airstrikes on a five-story residential building in the Zaporizhia region located in southern Ukraine. It was reported that at least one civilian was killed and 28 others, including children, were injured in the attack.
As the atmosphere turned bleak, Trump hinted that the progress of peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine is not meeting his expectations. He said, "We have maintained a good relationship with (Russia) for years, so I really thought we would make this work," adding, "It would have been nice if that were the case, but they might have to fight a bit longer. Foolishly, they just keep fighting."
Meanwhile, Trump's remarks came as the deadline he proposed for a summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky approaches in just two days. On the 18th, Trump met with President Zelensky and European leaders at the White House and mentioned that the Putin-Zelensky summit could be held within two weeks. According to those remarks, the deadline for a meeting between the two warring parties is September 1.