Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin have agreed to hold face-to-face talks within days, with the meeting location already decided, according to senior Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov. The announcement follows a three-hour meeting between Putin and US special envoy Steve Witkoff in Moscow on Wednesday, marking a significant diplomatic development in efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war.
The breakthrough comes just two days before Trump’s Friday deadline for Russia to agree to a ceasefire or face severe secondary sanctions targeting countries that purchase Russian oil, including China and India. Ushakov confirmed to Russian state media that “an agreement has been reached to hold a meeting between Putin and Trump in the coming days, and the parties have begun working on it.
White House officials indicated the summit could take place as early as next week. The Russians expressed their desire to meet with President Trump, and the President is open to meeting with both President Putin and President Zelenskyy,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated.
Conditions and Trilateral Talks
A senior White House official told reporters that Trump’s meeting with Putin would be conditional on the Russian leader also agreeing to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Ushakov revealed that Witkoff had raised the possibility of a trilateral meeting during Wednesday’s talks, though Moscow “left it without comment.”
Trump himself appeared cautiously optimistic whilst speaking in the Oval Office on Wednesday. “There’s a very good chance that there will be a meeting very soon,” he said, adding that “we had some very good talks with President Putin today.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio offered measured commentary on the developments. I think for the first time, perhaps since this administration began, we have some concrete examples of the kinds of things that Russia would ask for in order to end the war,” Rubio told Fox Business Network.
Sanctions Threat Remains
Despite the diplomatic progress, the Trump administration confirmed that secondary sanctions on Russia are still expected to be implemented on Friday. A senior administration official stated that whilst the Witkoff-Putin meeting “went well,” the sanctions deadline remains in place.
The threatened measures include tariffs on countries importing Russian energy, with India already facing an additional 25% tariff announced on Wednesday, bringing the total to 50%. China, as Russia’s largest energy customer, could face similar penalties if Moscow fails to agree to peace terms.
“We’ll see what happens over the next fairly short period of time,” Trump told reporters on Tuesday. “We have a meeting with Russia tomorrow. We’re going to see what happens. We’ll make that determination at that time.”
Diplomatic Choreography
Wednesday’s meeting saw Witkoff arrive at Moscow’s Vnukovo Airport before taking a morning stroll through Zaryadye Park with Kirill Dmitriev, head of Russia’s sovereign wealth fund. The pair spent approximately 90 minutes at a restaurant before heading to an observation deck overlooking the Moscow River, according to Russian state media.
The formal talks with Putin began shortly before midday Moscow time and concluded around 2:40 p.m. Ushakov described the conversation as “very useful and constructive,” focusing on “the Ukrainian crisis” and “prospects for possible development of strategic cooperation between the United States and Russia.”
Putin has maintained maximalist demands throughout the conflict, including Ukrainian territorial concessions and limits on its military capabilities. Moscow has insisted that Ukraine must cede the regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson, and renounce its NATO membership ambitions.
Ukrainian Response
President Zelenskyy responded to the meeting announcement with cautious determination. “Our joint position with our partners is absolutely clear – the war must end. And it must be done honestly,” he wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
The Ukrainian leader spoke with Trump and European allies following the Witkoff-Putin meeting. Ukraine will definitely defend its independence. We all need a lasting and reliable peace. Russia must end the war that it itself started,” Zelenskyy added.
Ukraine continues to back US demands for an immediate ceasefire, after which negotiations for a full peace agreement could commence. However, the timing of Wednesday’s diplomatic breakthrough coincided with continued Russian attacks on Ukrainian civilian infrastructure.
Ongoing Violence
Even as diplomats discussed peace, Russian forces struck a recreational centre in Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region, killing two people and injuring twelve, including two children. Zelenskyy condemned the attack as having “zero military sense,” calling it “just cruelty aimed at instilling fear.”
A gas compressor station in the Odesa region that helps Ukraine receive US and Azerbaijani energy imports was also targeted overnight by dozens of strike drones, according to Ukraine’s energy ministry.
Russia set a new monthly record for long-range attacks on Ukraine in July, firing 6,443 drones and missiles into the country, according to Ukrainian air force data.
Historical Context
This marks Witkoff’s fifth visit to Moscow since Trump took office in January 2025. The real estate billionaire turned diplomat has faced criticism for his lack of diplomatic experience and for conducting meetings without experienced advisers or vetted interpreters.
The potential Trump-Putin summit would be the first meeting between a sitting US president and the Russian leader since Joe Biden met Putin in Geneva in 2021. Putin has been largely isolated by Western leaders following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Trump initially promised to end the war “on day one” of his presidency and gave Russia a 50-day ultimatum to reach a peace deal. He later shortened this to just 10 days, citing continued Russian attacks on Ukrainian cities.
Market Response
Russian markets responded positively to news of the planned summit. The Moscow Exchange rose by more than 4% following Ushakov’s announcement, whilst the rouble strengthened by 3.7% against the US dollar to reach 90.50 roubles.
The diplomatic developments represent a significant shift from recent weeks, during which Trump expressed increasing frustration with Putin. The US president had called Russian attacks “disgusting” and accused Putin of peddling “bullsh*t” in their phone conversations.
“I don’t call it a breakthrough,” Trump said on Wednesday when asked about the progress. “I mean, we’ve been working on this a long time. We’ve made a lot of progress.”
The location of the Putin-Trump meeting has been agreed but will be announced later, according to Ushakov. Next week has been designated as the “reference point” for the summit, though the exact timing remains subject to ongoing preparations.
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