The White House on Thursday stipulated that Russian President Vladimir Putin must meet directly with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in order to meet with President Donald Trump.
Kremlin official Yuri Ushakov said on Thursday that Trump and Putin have "agreed in principle to hold a bilateral summit meeting in the coming days," a decision he said came "at the suggestion of the American side."
Putin said later on Thursday that the talks could take place in the United Arab Emirates, but noted that "certain conditions should be created" before the meeting can occur.
The White House, in a statement to The New York Post, pushed back on these claims, saying that no location has been agreed to and that Putin must agree to meet with Zelenskyy if any meeting between Trump and Putin is to take place.
"Putin must meet with Zelensky for the meeting to occur," a White House official, whose name was not given, told the Post. "No location has been set."
A senior White House official later told Fox News correspondent Peter Doocy that Putin must hold a bilateral meeting with Trump before they can hold a trilateral meeting with Zelenskyy.
Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.