Trump Open to Putin–Xi Talks Without Zelenskyy, Hints at US Hostage Release

US President Donald Trump has said he is willing to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping, with or without Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, while signalling a possible breakthrough in efforts to free an American held in Russia.

Speaking to reporters at the White House on Monday before leaving for Kansas, Trump defended continued engagement with Moscow, saying negotiations covered Ukraine, Iran, energy supplies and hostages.

In a separate announcement, he thanked billionaire Elon Musk for a plan to give SpaceX shares to American children through the administration’s Trump Accounts initiative.

TRUMP BACKS THREE-WAY TALKS

Asked whether he would meet Putin and Xi without Zelenskyy present, Trump said he would support any discussion that could help end the Ukraine war.

“Anything I can do to end the war, whether somebody’s there or not, whatever I could do to end the war,” he said.

Trump said no trilateral meeting had been formally arranged. He indicated that nuclear weapons and denuclearisation would be its principal focus, with trade and other issues potentially on the agenda.

He linked the possibility to his planned visit to China in November.

“If President Xi wants to have it, I’d have it. I’m sure we’d talk about other things like trade, too,” Trump said.

The Wall Street Journal had reported that Putin proposed a meeting with Trump and Xi next month to discuss Ukraine. According to the newspaper, the prospect of negotiations without Kyiv’s participation had raised concerns in Ukraine and among European allies.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told the newspaper that the possibility was being discussed, but neither the meeting nor its agenda had been settled.

FRESH CRITICISM OF ZELENSKYY

Trump also criticised Zelenskyy after being asked about the Ukrainian president’s assertion that Washington was on “the wrong side of history”.

He argued that Kyiv could have secured an earlier agreement and suggested a change in its negotiating team.

“Maybe it’s time for Zelenskyy to get somebody else to negotiate,” Trump said.

Trump made claims about Ukrainian deaths while criticising Zelenskyy’s handling of the war, but the supplied report did not provide evidence substantiating his figures.

POSSIBLE HOSTAGE BREAKTHROUGH

Trump separately suggested that efforts to secure the release of an American held in Russia could produce a result soon. He did not identify the person or provide details of a potential agreement.

“I’m trying to get a hostage that the country’s been after for a long time, and before my time,” he said. “And let’s see what happens, that’ll be—that’ll be soon.”

Defending his dealings with Putin, Trump said it would be counterproductive to disrupt negotiations while discussions on several issues were underway. He nevertheless maintained that Washington could walk away if talks failed.

Trump also welcomed what he described as limited Russian and Chinese assistance to Iran amid US economic and military pressure on Tehran.

“Russia has done very little for Iran, and China could have done a lot more for Iran,” he said, describing their restraint as positive.

MUSK’S PROPOSED GIFT TO CHILDREN

In a separate Truth Social post, Trump thanked Musk for proposing to donate SpaceX stock to American children through Trump Accounts, an initiative intended to help families build long-term savings for children.

Musk had announced on X that he planned to give one SpaceX share to every child in the United States next year, calling it “the first of many” gifts.

Trump described the pledge as an example of private-sector participation in the programme and said it would give children a stake in American enterprise.

The White House said earlier this month that Trump Accounts had attracted more than $4.5 billion since opening on July 4, including philanthropic donations, government seed contributions and deposits from relatives and friends.

Details of how Musk’s proposed share donation would be valued, distributed or accommodated within the accounts were not provided in the announcement.

With inputs from ANI