US President Donald Trump estimates the probability of a successful meeting with Russian leader Vladimir Putin in Alaska on August 15 at 75%.
A Fox News host asked Trump to assess the possibility of failure after the talks with Putin. The White House boss said the probability was 25%.
"This encounter was arranged like a board game. The first meeting will pave the way for the second meeting, but there is a 25% chance that this meeting will not be a success" - the US leader pointed out.
Trump added that if his negotiations with Mr. Putin are successful, he could hold a three-way meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Three different locations are currently being considered for the meeting, and the possibility of holding tripartite talks in Alaska has not been ruled out.
According to Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov, the two leaders will focus on discussing options to achieve a long-term peaceful solution to the Ukrainian crisis. The Kremlin expects the next meeting between Mr. Putin and Mr. Trump to take place in Russia - Mr. Ushakov added.
After a meeting at the Kremlin with the UAE leader on August 7, the Russian president said he was ready to meet Zelensky, but conditions were needed for such a meeting. "Unfortunately, we are still far away from being able to create such conditions," he added.
The Kremlin has repeatedly stressed that much preparation is needed before Putin and Zelensky can meet. Meanwhile, Kiev has repeatedly urged to hold such a meeting without a clear agenda.
According to Mr. Ushakov, the US mentioned the possibility of holding a tripartite meeting between Mr. Putin, Zelensky and Trump. However, Moscow declined to comment on this possibility and called for focusing on the bilateral summit between Russia and the US.
According to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, preparations for the Russia-US summit have been taking place in a rush hour, but all necessary parameters have been met successfully.
The leaders are expected to discuss a solution to the Ukrainian problem. "This is a very complicated and multidimensional problem," Peskov said. The Ukrainian side's view is considered relevant for the next stages of negotiations.
Mr. Peskov said that Russia and the US do not intend to issue any official documents based solely on the discussions of the summit. "However, due to a joint press conference, President Putin will outline the scope of agreements and possible understanding," the Kremlin spokesman said.
However, Peskov warned against trying to predict the outcome of the summit, calling such efforts "a big mistake". "Let's see how the conversation went," he said.
