Switzerland says it’s ready to host a meeting between US President-elect Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin to talk about ending the war in Ukraine. Nicolas Bidault, a top official at Switzerland’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said the country is happy to provide a neutral meeting spot if both sides ask for it.
“Since the Burgenstock summit, we’ve let Ukraine, Russia, and the U.S. know we’re ready to support any efforts that help bring peace,” Bidault told Le Temps.
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However, Switzerland won’t take the lead in organizing the talks—it’s up to the countries involved to make the first move.
Switzerland isn’t the only option. Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico has also offered to host a Trump-Putin meeting. Putin has said he’d be open to meeting in Slovakia, as the country has taken a neutral stance on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Trump announced on Thursday, Jan.9, that his team is working on plans to meet with Putin to discuss ways to end the war. But he made it clear he won’t talk to Putin until after his inauguration on Jan.20.
The Kremlin says Putin is ready to meet with Trump anytime and without preconditions. However, Russian officials also noted that they haven’t yet received a formal request from Trump’s team.
One big topic for Putin in any talks with Trump will be NATO. Sources close to the Kremlin say Putin wants guarantees that Ukraine will never join the alliance.
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