ABC News senior political correspondent, Rachel Scott, pressed President Donald Trump in his phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin last week, during which the White House said Putin promised to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the coming weeks.
“Mr. President, when he met with Russian President Vladimir Putin, what soon did he say he wanted to sit with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy?” Scott asked. “Russia, from now on, says that there is no meeting in the books or on the established agenda.”
“Well, that will depend on them,” Trump said. “I say that two are needed for tango. And I think they should be found before having a meeting and probably close the deal, but I think it is appropriate to be.”
President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with the South Korean president Lee Jae Myung at the Oval Office of the White House, on August 25, 2025, in Washington.
Alex Brandon/AP
Trump called him a “concession” for Putin to travel to Alaska to meet earlier this month, saying that the Russian leader “was not happy” to travel to the United States, Trump said “I appreciate the fact” that Putin came to the United States and said that “he always had a very good relationship” with him.
“I don’t know if they will meet,” he continued on Putin and Zelenskyy. “Maybe they will do it, maybe they won’t. You would like you to be in the meeting. I said: ‘You have to solve it. It’s among you.'”
Trump was asked how long he was willing to let this develop and if there would be additional consequences for Russia if Putin does not sit with Zelenskyy. Trump said: “We will see what happens during the next week or two.”
