European leaders want to speak with Trump before his call with Putin, says Reuters
The leaders of the United Kingdom, Germany, Poland and France want to hold a phone call with US President Donald Trump before his conversation with Kremlin ruler Vladimir Putin, which is scheduled for Monday 19 May.
Source: Reuters, citing German Chancellor Friedrich Merz speaking to journalists at the Vatican on Sunday 18 May, as reported by European Pravda
Details: Merz said he had discussed the upcoming Trump-Putin call with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio as they were attending Pope Leo XIV’s inauguration Mass in the Vatican.
Quote: "We agreed that we will speak again with the four state leaders and the US president in preparation of this conversation [between Trump and Putin – ed.]."
More details: Merz added that he had also had a long conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy while in the Vatican.
Background:
- Trump announced yesterday that he will speak with Putin by phone on Monday 19 May and then hold a call with Zelenskyy.
- Trump has said he believes Putin is "tired of the war" and reiterated that a peace deal is only possible with his involvement.
- The leaders of the UK, Germany, Poland and France have already held two joint conversations with Trump – during their visit to Ukraine last weekend and again on 16 May on the sidelines of the European Political Community Summit in Albania.
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