Trump Hints at Imminent Meeting with Putin to End Ukraine War
By Staff, Agencies
US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin could happen “very soon,” following what he described as significant progress made during recent talks between his special envoy and the Kremlin.
The potential summit was discussed in a phone call between Trump and Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky, which reportedly also included NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and leaders from the UK, Germany and Finland.
“There’s a good chance that there will be a meeting very soon,” Trump told reporters at the White House. While he did not disclose a location, reports from The New York Times and CNN suggest that Trump may meet Putin as early as next week, possibly followed by a trilateral meeting with both Putin and Zelensky.
The momentum follows the visit of Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, to Moscow earlier that day. The Kremlin described the talks as “productive,” and Trump echoed that sentiment on his Truth Social platform, stating, “Great progress was made!”
He added that he had already briefed European allies and that there was a shared agreement that “this war must come to a close.”
Despite the optimistic tone, US officials maintained that further sanctions against Russia were still scheduled to be implemented within two days.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that Witkoff returned with a ceasefire proposal from Moscow, which would need thorough discussion with Ukraine and key European partners.
Rubio added, however, that a Trump-Putin meeting could still be “weeks maybe” away due to the complexity of negotiations.
Trump, who has repeatedly claimed he could end the war in Ukraine within 24 hours of returning to office, has imposed a Friday deadline on Russia to show movement toward peace or face additional penalties.
Previous peace talks in Istanbul have failed, and Russian attacks on Ukraine have intensified in recent weeks, reaching record levels of drone and missile strikes.
Following his meeting with Witkoff, senior Putin aide Yuri Ushakov described the three-hour session as “useful and constructive,” noting that both sides exchanged “signals” about their positions.
Zelensky confirmed the phone call with Trump and acknowledged the involvement of European leaders, though he did not specify names. Kiev has demanded an immediate ceasefire and continues to call on Western allies to press for political change in Moscow.
Meanwhile, Trump has stepped up pressure on Russia’s trade allies, including raising tariffs on Indian imports over continued purchases of Russian oil. The Kremlin has pushed back against what it called “illegitimate” threats against its trading partners.
As the war grinds on—causing tens of thousands of deaths and massive displacement—Russia continues to demand territorial concessions and the end of Western support for Ukraine. Zelensky has firmly rejected those terms.
Tensions escalated further this week when Trump revealed he had ordered two US nuclear submarines into the region following a heated exchange with former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev. Russia responded by lifting its self-imposed moratorium on nuclear-capable intermediate-range missiles, signaling potential deployments near its borders.
