Trump says Putin, Zelenskyy like ‘oil and vinegar’ as Ukrainian leader accuses Russia of doing ‘everything’ to stop trilateral summit | World News

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks during his briefing with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte in Kyiv, Ukraine, Friday, Aug. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia on Friday of blocking efforts to arrange a face-to-face meeting with President Vladimir Putin, even as US President Donald Trump said he had begun making arrangements for such a summit after speaking to the Russian leader earlier this week.

Trump, who has vowed to end what he calls the “bloodbath” in Ukraine, told reporters he was exploring the possibility of a Putin-Zelenskyy meeting. “Well, we’ll see. We’re going to see if Putin and Zelenskyy will be working together. It’s like oil and vinegar a little bit,” he said.
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Zelenskyy, addressing a press conference in Kyiv alongside NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, said Moscow was deliberately stalling. “The Russians are doing everything they can to prevent the meeting from taking place,” he said. “The meeting is one of the components of how to end the war. And since they don’t want to end it, they will look for space to (avoid it).”

Russian Foreign Miner Sergei Lavrov struck a different note in an interview with NBC on Friday, insing that the conditions were not yet in place. “Putin is ready to meet with Zelenskyy when the agenda would be ready for a summit. And this agenda is not ready at all,” he said, repeating Moscow’s stance that talks could not proceed without clear terms.

Thousands of civilians have died since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022, while analysts estimate more than a million soldiers on both sides have been killed or wounded. Fighting continues across the front, with both Russia and Ukraine also striking energy infrastructure.

Moscow has reiterated its demands that Ukraine surrender land in two eastern regions, while offering to freeze the front line in two southern regions it claims in full, and possibly return smaller portions of occupied territory. Zelenskyy, for his part, has eased his position dropping his earlier insence on a lengthy ceasefire before any talks, though he urged allies to maintain pressure. On Friday, he said Russia should be forced into “at least a minimally productive position,” calling for fresh sanctions if Moscow continued to stall.

At his joint press conference with Rutte, Zelenskyy also stressed the importance of long-term security arrangements for Ukraine. He said guarantees should mirror NATO’s Article 5 collective defence principle: “This is the beginning of a big undertaking, and it is not easy, because guarantees cons of what our partners can give Ukraine, as well as what the Ukrainian army should be like, and where we can find opportunities for the army to maintain its strength.”

Rutte pointed that NATO and Ukraine were working on ensuring robust measures. “Robust security guarantees will be essential, and this is what we are now working on to define,” he said.

Military chiefs from the US and several European nations presented draft options for security guarantees to their national security advisers this week. Zelenskyy’s chief of staff Andriy Yermak said Kyiv expects to receive the first drafts next week.