U.S. President Donald Trump has announced that he will soon hold talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
After diplomatic efforts by his envoys and third-party nations failed to achieve a breakthrough in ending the war in Ukraine, Trump stated that he would personally meet with the Russian leader.
According to international news agency Reuters, Trump said that a direct meeting with Putin could take place as early as next week.
Although Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, held a three-hour meeting with Putin in Moscow, the talks did not yield a significant breakthrough regarding a ceasefire. As a result, Trump decided to engage directly.
He has already informed European leaders about the planned meeting via phone calls on Wednesday. In those calls, Trump reportedly said that a direct meeting with Putin could take place next week.
Writing on Truth Social, Trump said that Wednesday’s meeting in Moscow had made progress, though he did not disclose any specific developments related to a ceasefire in Ukraine.
The Kremlin described the talks as “positive and constructive” but has not released additional details regarding a potential ceasefire.
Following the talks, Trump also stated that he intends to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky after his meeting with Putin.
According to Reuters, former U.S. President Donald Trump is in favor of holding a tripartite meeting with both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
“There is a strong possibility that the talks will happen soon,” Trump told reporters at the White House on Wednesday.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that the Russian side has expressed interest in meeting with President Trump.
“They have proposed direct talks. And our President is open to discussions with both Putin and Zelensky,” Leavitt told journalists.
Trump has reportedly given Russia a one-week deadline to agree to a ceasefire. Failing that, he has threatened to impose 100% tariffs on Russia and introduce sanctions on multiple fronts.
In addition, Trump has warned that countries purchasing oil from Russia will face secondary tariffs. As part of this policy, he has already announced a 50% tariff on India and warned of further increases if Russian oil imports continue. He has also issued similar warnings to China regarding secondary tariffs for buying Russian oil.
The ceasefire deadline set by Trump is set to expire this Friday. He has not yet disclosed what specific actions he will take if no agreement is reached.
However, international media report that if a meeting with Putin is confirmed, Trump may consider extending the deadline to allow further room for negotiations.
There has been no direct meeting between U.S. and Russian presidents since 2021. The last such encounter was in June 2021, when then-President Joe Biden met with Putin in Geneva. Eight months later, Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Putin and Zelensky, meanwhile, have not met since 2019.
