Washington, D.C. — Former U.S. President Donald Trump says he plans to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin soon, after efforts to mediate peace in Ukraine through envoys and third countries failed to make progress.
According to Reuters, Trump has indicated that the meeting could take place as early as next week. His announcement comes after a three-hour-long meeting in Moscow between Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, and President Putin. Despite the extended talks, there were no clear signs of a breakthrough on a ceasefire deal.
Following the lack of success from backchannel diplomacy, Trump has now taken the lead himself. He informed European leaders of his intentions via phone calls on Wednesday, telling them he may meet Putin directly in the coming days.
Trump also posted on Truth Social, saying there had been “progress” in the Moscow meeting, although he did not provide any update regarding a potential ceasefire in Ukraine. The Kremlin called the talks “positive and constructive” but did not release further information about the ceasefire.
Trump has also announced plans to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy following his talks with Putin. According to Reuters, Trump favors a possible trilateral meeting involving all three leaders, if conditions allow.
“The talks are very likely to happen soon,” Trump said in a media briefing at the White House on Wednesday. White House Press Secretary Carolyn Leavitt confirmed that the Russian side had requested a direct meeting with Trump.
“They’ve proposed a face-to-face meeting. Our president is open to discussions with both President Putin and President Zelenskyy,” Leavitt told reporters. Trump has given Russia a one-week deadline to agree to a ceasefire. If not, he warned of imposing 100% tariffs and other sweeping sanctions.
He has also threatened secondary tariffs on countries that continue buying Russian oil. India, for example, is already facing a 50% tariff, with Trump warning of more if imports continue. China has received a similar warning over its purchases of Russian oil.
The deadline Trump set expires this Friday, but he has not yet commented on what steps he will take if no agreement is reached. However, some international news outlets report that if a meeting with Putin is confirmed, Trump may consider extending the deadline.
The last direct meeting between a U.S. and Russian president took place in 2021, when then-President Joe Biden met with Putin in Geneva. The Russia–Ukraine war began just eight months later. Putin and Zelenskyy have not met in person since 2019.
