Photo: Drew Angerer/AFP
Eurasia
16/08/2025 02:13
“I agree with U.S. President Donald Trump that Ukraine’s security must be guaranteed, and of course, we are ready to work on that,” Putin said, speaking first in a break from diplomatic protocol. He added, “I hope that the agreement we have reached together will bring us closer to achieving this goal and will open the path toward peace in Ukraine.”
Trump agreed, saying that "many points" were agreed on, though ‘significant points’ still require further negotiation. “We didn’t get there, but we have a very good chance of getting there,” he said. Trump, however, acknowledged that there was no progress on ‘one big one,’ possibly an allusion to the ceasefire in Ukraine. He said that after the summit he will contact Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, NATO leaders, and other heads of state—most likely German Chancellor Friedrich Merz—to present the terms discussed with Putin.
Both leaders stressed that Ukraine’s consent is essential for the acceptance of the negotiation points. “We expect Kyiv and the European capitals to approach all this constructively, not to create obstacles, and not to attempt to derail the emerging progress through provocations or backroom deals,” Putin emphasised.
