US VP Vance Says Zelenskyy Meeting Putin Before Trump 'Not That Productive' | Watch

Last Updated:August 10, 2025, 20:32 IST

US VP JD Vance downplayed the impact of a meeting between Zelenskyy and Putin, suggesting progress in the Ukraine war would be more likely with US President Trump involved.

Vance is currently in the UK on an official visit with his wife (IMAGE: AFP)

US Vice President JD Vance downplayed the potential impact of any meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin before a planned summit with US President Donald Trump, calling such talks “not that productive."

Speaking in an interview on Sunday, Vance suggested that meaningful progress toward resolving the war in Ukraine would be more likely once Trump is directly involved in negotiations.

“I actually don’t think it would be that productive. I think fundamentally, the President United States has to bring these two together. We’re going to talk to Ukrainians. There is something where the President needs to force President Putin and President Zelenskyy to sit down to figure out….You can’t wag your finger at someone and say you’re wrong, we’re right," Vance said.

This comes after speculation grows over a potential face-to-face meeting between Zelenskyy and Putin, which some diplomats have framed as a possible step toward ending the nearly three-year conflict.

Zelenskyy on Sunday expressed gratitude to several European leaders who called for Kyiv’s inclusion in the Alaska summit set to take place on Friday.

During the Alaska summit, Trump and Putin will hold talks over ending the war in Ukraine. The Ukrainian President has expressed deep concern over being excluded from the upcoming US-Russia summit, warning that any peace deal excluding Kyiv will lead to dead solutions.

On Saturday, the leaders of Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Finland and the European Commission issued a joint statement, saying any diplomatic solution must protect the vital security interests of Ukraine and Europe.

“The path to peace cannot be decided without Ukraine," they said, urging “robust and credible security guarantees" to allow Ukraine to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity.

In response to European leaders, Zelenskyy said on Sunday, “The end of the war must be fair, and I am grateful to everyone who stands with Ukraine and our people today for the sake of peace in Ukraine, which is defending the vital security interests of our European nations."

The summit has raised concerns in Kyiv and across Europe, with Ukraine fearing that Washington and Moscow could try to broker a deal to end the 3.5-year war that might come at the cost of its sovereignty.

A White House official said Trump is open to Zelenskyy’s participation, but the current agenda still calls for a one-on-one meeting with Putin. The Kremlin has rejected including Ukraine, citing unmet conditions for holding talks with Zelenskyy.

Trump has suggested “some swapping of territories to the betterment of both (sides)," further raising Ukrainian fears of being pressured into ceding land.

Meanwhile, Russia has responded angrily over European leaders’ call for including Ukraine in the summit, with former president Dmitry Medvedev calling them “Euro-imbeciles" and Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova likening EU-Ukraine relations to “necrophilia."

“The Euro-imbeciles are trying to prevent American efforts to help resolve the Ukrainian conflict," former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev posted on social media on Sunday.

The Alaska summit, arranged after a recent trip to Moscow by Trump’s envoy, has renewed concerns that Trump could reach a deal advantageous to Putin in return for political or economic concessions, potentially sidelining Ukraine and Europe.

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