US President Donald Trump said Wednesday that there is a “good chance” he will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin “very soon,” following what he described as productive diplomatic talks between his special envoy and the Kremlin.
Speaking to reporters, Trump praised the recent discussions held in Moscow between Putin and his envoy, real estate executive Steve Witkoff. “They were very good talks. We made a lot of progress,” Trump said. “There’s a good chance that there will be a meeting very soon.”
The White House has not yet announced a date or location for the potential summit, but as per DW, officials confirmed that Trump remains open to meeting both Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a bid to end the ongoing war in Ukraine.
“The Russians expressed their desire to meet with President Trump, and the president is open to meeting with both President Putin and President Zelenskyy,” said White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt. “President Trump wants this brutal war to end.”
The statement comes just days after Trump publicly set a deadline of “10 or 12 days” for Russia to halt its military campaign in Ukraine, warning of possible U.S. sanctions if the war continues. During his 2024 campaign, Trump repeatedly claimed he would end the conflict “on day one” if elected.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio also acknowledged the progress in talks but cautioned that major obstacles remain. “Today was a good day, but we’ve got a lot of work ahead,” Rubio told Fox Business. “There are still many impediments to overcome, and we hope to do that over the next few days and hours—weeks maybe.” The Trump-Putin meeting is expected to precede a potential three-way summit involving Ukrainian President Zelenskyy, although no concrete plans have been confirmed.
The White House described the recent discussions as “highly productive,” with officials on both sides signaling cautious optimism about the possibility of a breakthrough in the 17-month-long war.
