U.S. Proposes Three-Way Talks with Trump, Putin, and Zelensky to End Ukraine War

The United States is reportedly pushing for a three-way summit involving the leaders of the U.S., Russia, and Ukraine to revive stalled negotiations aimed at ending the Ukraine war.

Axios reported on August 29 that John Ratcliffe, the Director of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), recently visited Russia and proposed that President Donald Trump, President Vladimir Putin of Russia, and President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine meet directly to discuss a ceasefire.

Ratcliffe met with Alexander Bortnikov, head of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB), and other top Russian intelligence officials in Moscow on August 25. Following this meeting, the U.S. government conveyed the results to President Zelensky and suggested a three-way summit to the Russian side.

Ratcliffe is also said to have communicated U.S. intelligence assessments to the Russian side, indicating that prolonged conflict could lead to greater military and economic losses. The New York Times reported that Ratcliffe urged Russia to initiate ceasefire negotiations before the situation worsens.

The U.S. hopes that Bortnikov, who, like Putin, has ties to the former Soviet KGB, can play a role in resuming the stalled peace talks.

This is not the first time the Trump administration has proposed a three-way summit. President Zelensky has shown a willingness for direct negotiations, while President Putin has maintained a negative stance toward such talks.

It remains uncertain whether this proposal will lead to an actual summit, as Ukrainian sources express skepticism about Putin's intentions, citing intelligence suggesting Russia is preparing for further offensives rather than negotiations. Prime Minister Han Seung-soo has issued an urgent directive for thorough safety preparations in response to forecasts of heavy rain across the country.

On August 30, Han ordered relevant agencies to ensure that additional damage does not occur in areas already affected by previous rainfall.

He specifically requested inspections and management of risk areas, including apartment slopes, landslide-prone regions, walls near residential areas, steep slopes, and aging houses.

With heavy rain expected early on August 31, Han instructed that evacuation plans for residents in vulnerable areas be established in advance. He emphasized the need to utilize available means, such as village broadcasts and sirens, to guide residents to evacuate quickly in case of emergencies.

He also urged relevant agencies to maintain a state of emergency readiness, ensure effective information sharing between agencies, and pay special attention to the safety of on-site response personnel. Iceland's plans to resume negotiations for European Union (EU) membership have been thwarted after a national referendum showed that a majority of voters opposed the move.

Icelandic public broadcaster RUV reported on August 30 that, following the completion of vote counting in six electoral districts, 52.8% voted against resuming negotiations, while 47.2% were in favor. Approximately 225,000 people participated in the vote, resulting in a high turnout rate of 82.5%.

Early in the counting process, the pro-EU side had a slight lead, but as votes from rural areas were tallied, the opposition gained ground and ultimately secured a decisive victory. In the capital, Reykjavik, support for resuming negotiations was higher, but turnout was only in the 60% range, while rural districts saw participation rates exceeding 80%.

This referendum was initiated after the government, which took office in 2024, pledged to resume EU membership negotiations. The government argued that in light of the unstable international situation, including the war in Ukraine and U.S. pressure regarding Greenland, the EU could serve as a security and economic safety net.



* This article has been translated by AI.

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