Donald Trump may meet Vladimir Putin as soon as next week to discuss ending the war in Ukraine, White House officials have indicated. The US president told reporters on Wednesday that a meeting was likely “very soon,” following what he described as “great progress” made by special envoy Steve Witkoff during a visit to Moscow.
According to reports from the New York Times and CNN, Trump plans a one-on-one meeting with Putin, followed by a three-way summit involving Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The potential meeting would be the first US-Russia leadership summit since Joe Biden met Putin in Geneva in June 2021.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio cautioned against overstating progress, noting that “many impediments” remain, particularly regarding Russian territorial claims. “What we have is a better understanding of the conditions under which Russia would be willing to end the war,” Rubio said, adding that these would need to be compared with what Ukraine can accept.
Witkoff’s three-hour talks at the Kremlin came ahead of a US deadline for Russia to agree a peace deal or face fresh sanctions. Trump later wrote on social media that “great progress was made” and that he had updated European allies. However, analysts remain cautious, as previous claims of Putin’s readiness to negotiate have yielded little.
Zelenskyy, after a call with Trump, reiterated Ukraine’s position: “The war has to end, and it has to be a just ending.” He stressed the need for a “long-lasting and reliable peace” and insisted that Russia must finish the war it started.
