IRIA News

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Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump are set to meet in the coming days, the Kremlin confirmed, marking a high-stakes diplomatic push towards the ceasefire and a possible end to the war in Ukraine.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that the Trump-Putin summit was proposed by Moscow. If it proceeds as planned, it will be the first in-person summit between the American and Russian presidents since June 2021.

Trump announced that he intended to meet with Putin “very soon” and also hold joint meetings with both Russian President Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the near future, adding that “there’s a very good chance” of reaching an agreement on the conflict. The announcement came shortly after U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff held three hours of talks with Putin in Moscow.

“We propose, first of all, to focus on preparing a bilateral meeting with Trump, and we consider it most important that this meeting be successful and productive,” Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said, adding that Witkoff’s suggestion of a meeting including Ukraine’s leader “was not specifically discussed.”

Ushakov said both sides had agreed in principle to hold the meeting, aiming for next week. While the venue has not been confirmed, the United Arab Emirates is considered the most likely host. After meeting with Emirati President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Moscow, Putin described the UAE as “one of the suitable” options for the summit.

“We have many friends who are ready to help us organize events of this kind. One of our friends is the president of the United Arab Emirates,” Putin said. “I think we will decide, but this would be one of the suitable, quite suitable locations.”

Putin added that both Washington and Moscow had expressed interest in the summit, and “who initiated it is no longer important.” On the possibility of direct or trilateral talks with Zelenskyy, he said he was not opposed, but added: “It’s a possibility, but certain conditions need to be created” for such talks to happen.

Later in the day, however, a White House official stated that Trump would meet with Putin only if Putin also agrees to meet with Zelenskyy – a precondition the Kremlin has yet to accept.

Zelenskyy seeks European involvement in peace talks

Ukraine, which fears being sidelined by direct negotiations between U.S. and Russia, is insisting that European countries must also be involved in finding a solution to the war on their own continent.

Ukrainian President Zelenskyy insisted that Europe must be part of any U.S.-brokered peace talks with Russia, stating, “The war is happening in Europe, and Ukraine is an integral part of Europe – we are already in negotiations on EU accession. Therefore, Europe must be a participant in the relevant processes.”

His remarks followed a call with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and came after Trump informed European leaders of plans to meet with Putin, possibly followed by a trilateral summit with Zelenskyy.

Zelenskyy also briefed French President Emmanuel Macron and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and discussed the “current diplomatic options”. He said, “Ukraine seeks a real and fair end to this war, and it is important for us that all of free Europe is standing with us on this path.”

French President Macron later said that during the phone call with Zelenskyy, he reiterated “France’s full support for a ceasefire to be established, in order to initiate discussions toward a strong and lasting solution that upholds Ukraine’s legitimate rights and ensures its security and that of all Europeans.”

Zelenskyy noted that Russia may be shifting toward a ceasefire, but warned against trusting Moscow blindly. “Ukraine is not afraid of meetings,” he said, “but we must not be deceived in the details.”

I spoke with President of France @EmmanuelMacron. I shared with him Ukraine’s perspective on yesterday’s conversation with President Trump and our European colleagues. Emmanuel informed about his contacts with other leaders, those that had already taken place earlier in the day… pic.twitter.com/ijFstTmDVc

— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) August 7, 2025

Diplomatic momentum

The diplomatic momentum follows increased pressure from Trump, who is seeking a breakthrough to end the war, now in its fourth year. On August 6, the U.S. president imposed higher tariffs on India for continuing to purchase Russian oil, and he warned that China may be next. Trump has set a Friday deadline for Putin to move toward ending the conflict or face a new round of economic sanctions.

Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, citing national security concerns. Kyiv and Western capitals see the war as a clear case of aggression. The conflict has since become the deadliest in Europe since World War II, and efforts to mediate a peace agreement have stalled.

The Trump administration has made restarting dialogue with Russia a diplomatic priority, even as the president continues to send mixed messages about his views on Putin. Publicly, Trump has alternated between praise and harsh criticism of the Russian leader.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the United States now better understands Russia’s conditions for ending the war and is trying to align positions with Ukraine.

Russian market responds positively

Markets responded positively to news of the upcoming summit. The MOEX index, Russia’s main stock market, jumped 5%, reaching a two-month high. The ruble also strengthened against the U.S. dollar and China’s Yuan.

A senior White House official told reporters that the summit could take place as early as next week. The New York Times reported that Trump had informed European leaders during a Wednesday call that he intended to meet with Putin and later hold a trilateral meeting with both Putin and Zelenskyy.

Despite the uncertainties, Zelenskyy said that Ukraine is open to dialogue and expects the same from Russia. “Ukraine is not afraid of meetings and expects the same brave approach from the Russian side,” he said.

As diplomatic maneuvering accelerates, the coming days are likely to prove pivotal in determining whether the Putin-Trump summit will mark a genuine step toward ending the war or simply another round of political theater.