Former U.S. President Donald Trump has revealed that he may meet Russian President Vladimir Putin “very soon,” amid ongoing diplomatic efforts to end Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Speaking at the White House on Wednesday, Trump said there’s a “good chance” of a meeting soon, following what he described as “highly productive” talks between his special envoy, Steve Witkoff, and Russian officials in Moscow. The meeting would mark the first U.S.-Russia leadership summit since President Joe Biden and Putin met in Geneva in 2021.
The development comes after a multi-party phone call involving Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, and leaders of the UK, Germany, and Finland. Trump reportedly briefed European allies after Witkoff’s Moscow talks.
According to The New York Times and CNN, Trump could meet Putin as early as next week and is pushing for a three-way meeting including Ukrainian leader Zelensky. However, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio cautioned that the timeline remains uncertain, calling the process “long” and saying it could take “weeks maybe.”
Zelensky acknowledged the call with Trump and warned of potential deception from Moscow despite a possible shift in Russia’s stance. “It seems that Russia is now more inclined to agree to a ceasefire; the pressure on them is working,” he said.
Trump, who has claimed he could end the war within 24 hours if re-elected, has given Russia until Friday to show progress toward peace or face a new round of sanctions. Despite the optimism, a senior U.S. official confirmed that secondary sanctions are still expected within two days.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote: “Great progress was made! Everyone agrees this war must come to a close, and we will work towards that in the days and weeks to come.”
During his visit, Witkoff reportedly received a ceasefire proposal from Moscow. Putin’s aide Yuri Ushakov described the three-hour discussion as “quite useful and constructive,” saying the parties exchanged key “signals” without providing further details.
Meanwhile, Trump’s administration has continued ramping up pressure on Russia’s allies. Earlier Wednesday, Trump ordered steeper tariffs on Indian goods over New Delhi’s continued oil trade with Russia and hinted at future sanctions that could target China.
Russia reacted sharply, with the Kremlin denouncing U.S. tariff threats as “illegitimate.”
The Moscow-Washington standoff has also escalated in military terms. Trump confirmed that two U.S. nuclear submarines had been repositioned “in the region” after an online spat with former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. In response, Moscow announced it would end its moratorium on deploying intermediate-range nuclear missiles, citing alleged U.S. deployments near Russia.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which began in February 2022, has claimed tens of thousands of lives, displaced millions, and devastated infrastructure. Moscow insists that Kyiv must relinquish territory and end its Western alliances. Kyiv, however, continues to call for a full ceasefire and has recently pushed Western allies to support regime change in Moscow.
As the pressure mounts on all sides, the world watches closely to see if a Trump-Putin meeting could mark a turning point in the prolonged and bloody conflict.
New York Times