Serbia has offered to host a meeting between the Russian president, and the elected president of the United States, arguing that it is a country independent and non-aligned with military blocks.
“Serbia is the place on the globe that would suit both“said the president of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, in statements to commercial television Pink.
He argued that Serbia is the most suitable place because “it is not only formally outside the military blocksbut essentially it is outside both blocks, it is a country independent” and “prepared to ensure full security to both presidents.”
He also indicated that Serbia is the country where both Trump and Putin enjoy great support. “There is no country that can compare with Serbia in terms of the level of support for President Trump,” Vucic said, adding that Serbia is at the same time “a country where President Putin remains very very popular“.
Serbia is a country candidate to enter the European Union, but also maintains close ties with Russia.
Trump, who will return to take charge of the White House next Monday, said last week that . The Republican leader hopes to use the occasion to fulfill his promise to end Russia’s current war in Ukraine as soon as possible.
Already on Sunday, The Swiss Foreign Ministry said it had also expressed its willingness to host peace talks.. Nicolas Bideau, head of communications at the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, told the Swiss newspaper Time what Ukraine, Russia and the United States have been regularly informed of the country’s availability to support diplomatic efforts to establish peace.
Bideau’s comments come as the Kremlin signals its willingness to meet with Trump for high-level diplomatic talks aimed at ending Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine. However, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that “There are no preliminary preparations yet”but “a manifest understanding of political willbecause those contacts would be very necessary and convenient.” Peskov added that “we will see more after the Administration in Washington changes.”
An obstacle to the possible meeting could be an outstanding arrest warrant for the for supposedly supervising the illegal deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia. Switzerland would be legally obligated to arrest Putin, but Bideau says the country’s federal council has the authority to grant exceptions in situations involving peace negotiations.
meeting in sight
Trump stated last week that “Putin wants to meet” and that a meeting is being organized, indicating that efforts to end the almost three-year war between Russia and Ukraine would be behind the opening for talks.
Trump’s National Security Advisor, Mike Waltz, also said that “preparations are underway” for a meeting between Trump and Putin. Waltz said that the format of the meeting, including the possibility of the participation of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, has not been determined. Waltz, however, expects at least one phone call between Trump and Putin in “the coming days and weeks.”
The US president-elect has promised to bring kyiv and Moscow to the negotiating tableand at one point he even claimed that he could end the war in one day, which sparked criticism even from former allies such as his former vice president during his first term, Mike Pence.
Trump, who has criticized U.S. aid to the Ukraine war effort and has spoken publicly about a possible reconsideration of US membership in NATOhas generated concern among allies and security experts.
