Trump and Putin Set to Meet in Coming Days, Kremlin Confirms

U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are expected to meet in the coming days, according to a statement by a Kremlin adviser, signaling renewed efforts to negotiate an end to the ongoing war in Ukraine.

The announcement follows Trump’s recent comments suggesting a “good chance” of an imminent in-person meeting involving both Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Trump has set a Friday deadline for Moscow to agree to a ceasefire or face additional U.S. sanctions.

The potential summit comes after U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff met with Putin in Moscow on Wednesday. This marks Witkoff’s fifth visit to the Russian capital since the conflict escalated, though previous trips have yielded little tangible progress.

Asked at a White House press briefing whether a trilateral summit had been confirmed, Trump responded that there was a “very good prospect” of such a meeting. Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov, however, stated that while the idea was discussed in Moscow, Russia offered “no comment” on the proposal for a three-way meeting.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, posting on X, expressed openness to the idea of a summit, saying Ukraine had long advocated for leader-level discussions as a path to effective solutions. He emphasized the need to establish a clear agenda and timeline for any high-level talks.

Ushakov also confirmed that a venue for the Trump-Putin meeting had been agreed upon, with further details expected soon. He added that preparations were underway among all parties involved.

While previous diplomatic overtures have fallen short of breakthroughs, Trump appeared more cautious on Wednesday, telling reporters: “I don’t call it a breakthrough… We have been working at this for a long time. There are thousands of young people dying. I’m here to get the thing over with.”

The Kremlin described Witkoff’s latest visit as “constructive,” noting that both sides had exchanged “signals.” Zelensky confirmed he had briefed Trump about the meeting during a call that included several European leaders.

Zelensky also reiterated his position that real progress in peace negotiations would only occur if Russia began to feel financial strain.

However, expectations remain low that a resolution will be reached by Trump’s Friday deadline. Russian forces have continued large-scale airstrikes on Ukrainian targets despite U.S. threats of expanded sanctions.

In a separate development, Trump signed an executive order on Wednesday imposing a 25% tariff on Indian imports in response to India’s continued purchase of Russian oil—a move seen as part of Washington’s broader strategy to isolate Moscow economically.

Trump, who had previously claimed he could end the Russia-Ukraine conflict “within a day” if elected, has recently taken a more hardline stance toward Moscow.

Three previous rounds of Ukraine-Russia talks in Istanbul have failed to yield any meaningful progress toward ending the war, now in its fourth year. Moscow’s conditions for peace remain unacceptable to Kyiv and its Western allies, and the Kremlin has so far refused Zelensky’s repeated calls for direct talks with Putin.

Meanwhile, the U.S. approved an additional $200 million in military assistance to Ukraine on Tuesday, including funding for domestic drone production.