Germany proposes Trump-Putin-Zelensky summit be held in Europe

A three-way summit US President Donald Trump has mooted with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin could take place in Europe, Germany's leader suggested on Saturday.

"I think that such a three-way meeting will take place," German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said in an interview with TV networks NTV and RTL, according to an advance transcript AFP obtained.

"The date and place are still to be worked out. We have proposed that a place could be found in Europe," he said.

Trump, in the wake of his Friday summit with Putin in Alaska to speak about Ukraine, said he and European leaders wanted to see another summit take place, this time with a seat at the table for Zelensky.

After his talk with Putin failed to make headway on a ceasefire in Ukraine, Trump shifted his stance to say was now keen on securing a full peace agreement.

One challenge for Putin to step foot in Europe is that there is an International Criminal Court arrest warrant out for him over the alleged mass abduction of Ukrainian children during the war. 

The United States is not a party to the ICC, and Hungary -- an EU country ruled by Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who is friendly with both Trump and Putin -- is in the process of withdrawing from the ICC's founding treaty.

Merz  suggested that a European venue for the possible summit "should maybe be a place where discussions might take place on a permanent basis", but he did not specify any country or city.

"Those are detailed issues. They will only be clarified in coming days, or even coming weeks," he said.