Trump-Putin meeting likely soon as White House pushes to end Ukraine war
TOI World Desk | TIMESOFINDIA.COM | Aug 07, 2025, 22:29 IST
( Image credit : IANS )
Donald Trump may soon meet Vladimir Putin for peace talks. The US wants to end the Russia-Ukraine war. A meeting could happen next week. Trump is also open to meeting Volodymyr Zelenskyy. New sanctions against Russia are planned. Trump's envoy met with Putin in Moscow. Allies are updated on the peace efforts. Russia has expressed interest to meet Trump.
President Donald Trump may soon meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin as part of a renewed push by the United States to bring an end to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war. A White House official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said on Wednesday that the meeting could happen as early as next week, though no time or location has been confirmed.
The official also said Trump remains open to meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. A summit involving all three leaders would be a significant development in the three-year-old war, though there is no guarantee it would lead to an immediate resolution. Russia and Ukraine remain far apart on key demands.
If the meeting occurs, it would be Trump’s first in-person discussion with Putin since returning to office in January 2025 following his victory in the 2024 presidential election. Speaking to reporters later at the White House, Trump declined to specify where such a meeting might take place. When asked if a summit with both Putin and Zelenskyy was likely, he said, “There’s a very good prospect that they will.” However, he also noted, “I’ve been disappointed before with this one,” referring to the ongoing challenges in securing peace.
Earlier on Wednesday, the same White House official said the United States still plans to impose a new round of secondary sanctions against Russia by Friday. The deadline follows a 10-day window Trump gave the Kremlin to engage seriously in peace efforts. Details of the sanctions have not been made public. The administration has also warned of steep tariffs and economic penalties if Russia’s military campaign continues, including potential tariffs on countries purchasing Russian oil. Trump said Tuesday that he has not finalized any specific tariff rate, suggesting the outcome of his discussions with Putin could influence the decision.
The United States has grown increasingly critical of Russia’s stepped-up attacks on civilian targets in Ukraine. Trump, according to aides, has been privately urging Putin to scale back the strikes, which are widely seen as attempts to weaken Ukrainian morale.
News of a potential Trump-Putin meeting came just hours after Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, met with Putin in Moscow. The meeting, which lasted about three hours, was described by both sides as productive. The Kremlin said the talks focused on the Ukraine conflict and future prospects for strategic cooperation between Washington and Moscow. Trump later said on Truth Social that Witkoff’s meeting with Putin achieved “great progress.”
Kremlin foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov said the discussion between Putin and Witkoff was “useful and constructive” and included “prospects for possible development of strategic cooperation” between the two nations. The Kremlin has not yet commented on the possibility of a Trump-Putin summit.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking in an interview with Fox Business, said a direct meeting between Trump and the leaders of Russia and Ukraine could help close a deal, but warned against assuming it was imminent. “A lot has to happen before that can occur,” Rubio said, adding that consultations with European allies and Ukrainian officials are ongoing. “We’ve got to get close enough to that point so that a meeting like that will be productive and worth doing,” he said. “Today was a good day, but we’ve got a lot of work ahead. There are still many impediments to overcome.”
Trump said earlier Wednesday that U.S. allies in Europe had been updated and were prepared to work together toward ending the war “in the days and weeks to come.” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt added that Russia had “expressed their desire” to meet with Trump.
The official also said Trump remains open to meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. A summit involving all three leaders would be a significant development in the three-year-old war, though there is no guarantee it would lead to an immediate resolution. Russia and Ukraine remain far apart on key demands.
If the meeting occurs, it would be Trump’s first in-person discussion with Putin since returning to office in January 2025 following his victory in the 2024 presidential election. Speaking to reporters later at the White House, Trump declined to specify where such a meeting might take place. When asked if a summit with both Putin and Zelenskyy was likely, he said, “There’s a very good prospect that they will.” However, he also noted, “I’ve been disappointed before with this one,” referring to the ongoing challenges in securing peace.
Earlier on Wednesday, the same White House official said the United States still plans to impose a new round of secondary sanctions against Russia by Friday. The deadline follows a 10-day window Trump gave the Kremlin to engage seriously in peace efforts. Details of the sanctions have not been made public. The administration has also warned of steep tariffs and economic penalties if Russia’s military campaign continues, including potential tariffs on countries purchasing Russian oil. Trump said Tuesday that he has not finalized any specific tariff rate, suggesting the outcome of his discussions with Putin could influence the decision.
The United States has grown increasingly critical of Russia’s stepped-up attacks on civilian targets in Ukraine. Trump, according to aides, has been privately urging Putin to scale back the strikes, which are widely seen as attempts to weaken Ukrainian morale.
News of a potential Trump-Putin meeting came just hours after Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, met with Putin in Moscow. The meeting, which lasted about three hours, was described by both sides as productive. The Kremlin said the talks focused on the Ukraine conflict and future prospects for strategic cooperation between Washington and Moscow. Trump later said on Truth Social that Witkoff’s meeting with Putin achieved “great progress.”
Kremlin foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov said the discussion between Putin and Witkoff was “useful and constructive” and included “prospects for possible development of strategic cooperation” between the two nations. The Kremlin has not yet commented on the possibility of a Trump-Putin summit.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking in an interview with Fox Business, said a direct meeting between Trump and the leaders of Russia and Ukraine could help close a deal, but warned against assuming it was imminent. “A lot has to happen before that can occur,” Rubio said, adding that consultations with European allies and Ukrainian officials are ongoing. “We’ve got to get close enough to that point so that a meeting like that will be productive and worth doing,” he said. “Today was a good day, but we’ve got a lot of work ahead. There are still many impediments to overcome.”
Trump said earlier Wednesday that U.S. allies in Europe had been updated and were prepared to work together toward ending the war “in the days and weeks to come.” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt added that Russia had “expressed their desire” to meet with Trump.