Trump and Putin Could Meet as Soon as Next Week, but US Demands Zelenskyy's Involvement in Peace Talks

U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin could meet as early as next week, according to the Kremlin. However, the U.S. has made it clear that for such a meeting to take place, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy must have a role in any peace negotiations.

Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov confirmed on Thursday that an agreement had been reached for a high-level bilateral meeting between Trump and Putin. 'At the suggestion of the American side, an agreement was essentially reached to hold a bilateral meeting at the highest level in the coming days,' Ushakov said. He added that preparations were already underway with U.S. officials.

Despite the potential for a Trump-Putin meeting, a White House official indicated that the summit would not proceed unless Putin agreed to meet with Zelenskyy. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, did not specify whether Zelenskyy would be present at the summit itself or at a subsequent meeting.

While the exact date and location of the meeting have not been finalized, Ushakov suggested that the target date is next week. 'We are now beginning concrete preparations together with our American colleagues,' he said. He also downplayed the possibility of Zelenskyy being involved in the talks, emphasizing the focus on the Trump-Putin meeting.

Trump has previously told Putin that he would give Russia 10 to 12 days to agree to a ceasefire with Ukraine, reducing the earlier 50-day deadline he had proposed. However, Zelenskyy has yet to receive a public response from Russia on the issue of a ceasefire.

Zelenskyy expressed his willingness to meet with Putin, stating, 'Ukraine is not afraid of meetings and expects the same brave approach from the Russian side.' He has been in virtual meetings with European leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, to discuss the situation.

A meeting between Trump and Putin would mark the first such encounter since Trump returned to the presidency this year. However, it is unlikely to bring an immediate end to the conflict, as Russia and Ukraine remain far apart in their demands.

Sam Greene, a professor of Russian politics at King's College in London, suggested that the meeting could be a 'compromise solution.' He noted that Trump has shown growing frustration with Putin, and it is possible that the meeting could lead to meaningful outcomes, though not guaranteed.

Western officials have accused Russia of delaying peace negotiations to gain more ground on the battlefield. Putin, on the other hand, has not made any concessions and has only accepted settlements on his terms.

The potential meeting comes as support for continuing the war in Ukraine wanes. A recent Gallup poll found that only about one-quarter of Ukrainians now support continuing the fight, a sharp decline from the beginning of the war in 2022 when most Ukrainians wanted to keep fighting until a victory.

As Trump's deadline for Russia to cease hostilities approaches, the world watches closely to see if the meeting will lead to a breakthrough or further tensions in the ongoing conflict.