Trump and Putin Discuss Potential Meeting to End War in Ukraine Amidst Escalating Tensions

The prospect of a summit between the United States and Russia to potentially end the conflict in Ukraine was discussed by President Donald Trump on Wednesday following a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US envoy Steve Witkoff.

During a press briefing, Trump expressed optimism about the possibility of a near-term meeting with Putin, stating, “There’s a very good chance that we could be ending – the ending, the road ending, the end of that road.” He added, “That road was long and continues to be long, but there’s a good chance that there will be a meeting very soon.”

Trump’s remarks came after the Putin-Witkoff meeting in Moscow, although the President acknowledged that no breakthrough had been achieved during their discussions. He also declined to comment on the timeline for a deal, stating only that he had been disappointed before with similar negotiations.

In a telephone call earlier in the day, Trump reportedly expressed his desire to meet soon – potentially as early as next week – with Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, followed by trilateral talks among the three leaders. European government sources confirmed the contents of the call.

Two White House officials informed CNN that Putin suggested a meeting with Trump during his conversation with Witkoff in Moscow. Immediately following the meeting, Trump’s advisors began planning for these potential discussions. While arranging presidential travel and major sit-downs with two world leaders typically takes time to coordinate, sources noted that Trump was urging his team to expedite the process.

No location for the proposed meetings has been finalized yet, but several options are under consideration, according to the White House. The discussions could occur as soon as next week or within the following two weeks.

The White House press secretary issued a statement saying, “The Russians expressed their desire to meet with President Trump, and the president is open to meeting with both President Putin and President Zelensky. President Trump wants this brutal war to end.”

Putin has faced international isolation since launching a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, with Western leaders largely shunning him following the move. His last encounter with a US president was during a summit in Geneva, Switzerland in 2021 with President Joe Biden.

Trump has consistently expressed his willingness to meet with Putin since returning to the White House in January, but Wednesday’s announcement appeared more concrete than his previous statements. The Putin-Witkoff meeting, which Russian state media reported lasted approximately three hours, took place after Trump imposed a deadline on Moscow to agree to a ceasefire or face tough secondary sanctions, imposing a 100% tariff on countries purchasing Russian oil.

Trump shared on social media that “great progress was made” during the meeting between Witkoff and Putin, but it remains unclear whether the Trump administration will follow through on its threat to impose new sanctions on Russia if a ceasefire is not reached by later this week. A White House official initially stated that secondary sanctions against Russia were “still expected to be implemented on Friday,” but US Secretary of State Marco Rubio later indicated that Trump would make the decision whether to impose the sanctions within the next 24-36 hours.

Oil and gas revenues constitute a significant portion of Russia’s government budget, making up roughly a quarter of its total income. Losing customers could be financially detrimental for Moscow, potentially impacting its ability to fund the war in Ukraine.

Rubio also suggested that, following Witkoff’s meeting with Putin, the US now had a better understanding of the conditions under which Russia would be willing to bring an end to the fighting.

The Kremlin characterized the Putin-Witkoff meeting as “constructive and useful,” according to Russian state media TASS. The Kremlin will release further details on the discussions after Witkoff reports back to Trump, RIA Novosti reported on social media.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke with Trump following the Putin-Witkoff meeting and expressed optimism about Russia’s potential inclination toward a ceasefire. “The pressure on Russia is working,” he said during his nightly address to the nation. “But the main thing is that they do not deceive us in the details.”

As diplomatic efforts were underway, Ukraine continued to suffer from a series of Russian attacks overnight into Wednesday. At least six people were killed in strikes carried out by Moscow, including a deadly bombing of a recreation center in the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia. Zelensky condemned the attack as having “zero military sense” and called it “just cruelty aimed at instilling fear.”

Additionally, a gas compressor station that helps Ukraine receive US and Azerbaijani energy imports was attacked overnight, according to the country’s energy ministry. The gas transmission facility in the town of Novosilske was targeted by dozens of strike drones, the ministry stated.

On Wednesday morning, Ukraine announced that the US State Department has approved a $200 million deal allowing its partners to purchase military supplies on its behalf, including technical support for heavy artillery. The US has yet to comment on the matter.

On Tuesday, Zelensky welcomed pledges from NATO members worth more than $1 billion through an initiative in which four of Ukraine’s European allies – the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden – will purchase US-made weapons for Kyiv.