The Kremlin on Thursday said that Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump will meet “in the coming days” to explore a possible deal to end the war in Ukraine.
Yuri Ushakov, a senior aide to Putin, confirmed the summit plan, saying, “Russia and the US have agreed to hold a Putin-Trump summit in the coming days.” The move follows a surprise three-hour meeting in Moscow between Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff and Putin on Wednesday, setting the stage for what could be the most consequential diplomatic talks since Russia invaded Ukraine in early 2022.
Speaking to reporters, Trump said: “It’s gonna be up to him. We’re going to see what he has to say,” when asked if his Friday ceasefire deadline for Russia still stood.
The US president has threatened sweeping new sanctions on Russia, and on countries buying its oil, unless Moscow agrees to end the war. He has already imposed higher tariffs on Indian oil imports and hinted at similar steps against China.
Ukraine, meanwhile, is pushing hard to keep Europe in the room. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who spoke to leaders of France, Germany, and the EU on Thursday, said: “Europe must be a participant in the relevant processes The war is happening in Europe, and Ukraine is an integral part of Europe.”
The New York Times reported Trump had informed European leaders of his plan to first meet Putin, then hold a potential trilateral summit including Zelenskyy.
Despite Trump’s optimism, the mood in Kyiv was cautious. Ukrainian officials and analysts fear a quick-fix deal could tilt in Russia’s favour. “Offering Putin a summit with Trump amounts to giving him a reward without getting anything in return,” said Mykola Bielieskov of Ukraine’s National Institute for Strategic Studies.
Even as Zelenskyy expressed openness to direct talks, he noted the Russian side had yet to show real readiness. “Ukraine is not afraid of meetings and expects the same brave approach from the Russian side,” he said.
Putin, speaking separately in Moscow, floated the United Arab Emirates as a possible location for the summit but didn’t confirm it. Russia’s Deputy UN Ambassador Dmitry Polyanskiy added cryptically that several locations were discussed, but “they don’t want to disclose.”
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With inputs from Reuters