Putin-Trump-Zelenskyy Summit Unlikely Amid Stalled Peace Talks

On June 3, the Kremlin announced that a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin, U.S. President Donald Trump, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is unlikely to occur in the near future. This statement comes after Turkey proposed a summit involving the leaders of Russia, Ukraine, and the United States. The Kremlin's position was reiterated by Russian Presidential Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov, who stated that such a meeting is not likely to happen soon. This development follows a round of peace talks between Russia and Ukraine held in Istanbul on June 2, which lasted for over an hour and were conducted in Russian. The talks, however, did not yield any immediate breakthroughs, and the Kremlin's latest statement suggests that high-level diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict may be stalled for the time being. The situation remains fluid, with no clear indication of when or if such a summit might take place. The absence of a near-term meeting between the three leaders underscores the ongoing tensions and the challenges in finding a diplomatic resolution to the conflict.

Russia and Ukraine have been engaged in peace talks since mid-May, but progress has been slow. Russia has proposed that Ukraine must relinquish control of four eastern regions, maintain a neutral status post-war, limit its military size, and cease accepting foreign military aid. These regions include Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson, with Russia currently occupying most of these areas but not fully controlling them. The lack of significant progress in these talks has led to frustration, with Trump previously stating that he might abandon efforts to broker a peace deal if U.S. mediation continues to be ineffective. Additionally, Trump has threatened further sanctions against Russia, although these have not yet been implemented.

Tensions escalated further when Ukraine launched a covert operation, codenamed "Spider Web," on June 2. This operation involved over 100 drones attacking four Russian military airfields. According to the Ukrainian Armed Forces General Staff, the operation resulted in the destruction of 41 Russian military aircraft, including strategic bombers. Notably, Ukraine did not inform the U.S. government in advance about this drone strike. Russia has condemned the operation, labeling it as a terrorist attack. This incident highlights the escalating military actions and the deepening divide between the two nations, further complicating efforts to achieve a diplomatic resolution.