WASHINGTON : Former U.S. President Donald Trump has decided, for now, to step back from direct involvement in efforts to broker peace between Russia and Ukraine, senior administration officials said.

Trump envisions the next stage of talks as a bilateral meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, to be followed — if progress is made — by a potential trilateral summit hosted by the U.S.

Advisers noted that Trump has told them he would consider convening such a three-way meeting only after Putin and Zelenskyy meet first. Whether that initial dialogue will take place, however, remains uncertain.