Vladimir Putin was asked who initiated the likely meeting between him and Donald Trump as hope emerges again of a potential ceasefire in Ukraine
Donald Trump is to hold face-to-face talks with Vladimir Putin on brokering a ceasefire in Ukraine, handing the Russian tyrant a diplomatic coup as he puts his ego before peace.
Putin has been largely isolated by Western powers since the 2022 invasion. But Trump rekindled communications with the Kremlin after returning to office in January and their calls have continued.
Yesterday, many Ukrainians remained sceptical of the US President’s ability or willingness to end the conflict on terms acceptable to Kyiv. Preparations for the talks are under way, and although it was “difficult to say” how long they will take, the United Arab Emirates has been touted as a possible venue. It comes after Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu “completely lost it” with an angry response to Keir Starmer.
Yuri Ushakov, the Russian leader’s foreign policy adviser, said: “The American side has suggested, and we have agreed in principle, to hold a high-level bilateral meeting, that is, a meeting between presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump.”
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While declining to name the venue, Ushakov said both sides had agreed on the location, but would “not be disclosing it at this time”. A date has not yet been confirmed but the talks could be held next week.
“It is hard to say how much time the preparations for such an important meeting would take,” Ushakov added.
The announcement came after Steve Witkoff, Trump’s special envoy, held talks with Putin at the Kremlin on Wednesday. It followed a US ultimatum demanding Russia either agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine or face a fresh round of sanctions due to come into force today.
One US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the White House was still poised to announce additional sanctions against Russia if no tangible steps were taken by Moscow toward ending the war.
Ushakov played down reports of a three-way meeting between Trump, Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, despite Trump’s stated ambition to hold such a summit. “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,” Ushakov said.
He described the idea of including Zelensky as “not specifically discussed.” Speaking at the Kremlin following talks with UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan yesterday, Putin said he expected to meet with Trump “possibly next week”.
Asked who initiated the meeting, the Russian leader said: “That doesn’t matter. Both sides expressed an interest.” As for Zelensky, Putin added, “It’s a possibility, but certain conditions need to be created” before any meeting between the two could take place. The Russian president has repeatedly rejected Zelensky’s previous offers to hold direct talks.
Kirill Dmitriev, head of Russia’s sovereign wealth fund and another who attended Wednesday’s Kremlin discussions with Witkoff, suggested that a Trump-Putin summit would allow Russia to “clearly convey its position”. On social media platform Telegram, President Zelensky called for an end to the conflict, adding he was holding calls with European leaders to discuss recent developments.
Yesterday he said: “Ukraine is not afraid of meetings and expects the same bold approach from the Russian side. It is time to end the war.”
Zelensky emphasised that any talks must include long-term security guarantees, and that a solution must involve not only the US, but also Europe.
“A ceasefire and long-term security guarantees are priorities in potential negotiation with Russia,” he said, noting that Russia’s missile strikes had continued unabated despite Trump’s public urging for de-escalation.
Should the summit materialise, it would mark the first in-person meeting between an American and Russian president since 2021, when Joe Biden met Putin in Geneva, Switzerland. Trump and Putin previously met at the G20 summit in Osaka, Japan, in 2019.
Trump had a phone call with Zelensky on Wednesday before a Gallup poll yesterday revealed growing public support in Ukraine for ending the war through negotiations.
In a marked shift from 2022, only about one in four Ukrainians now support continuing the fight until total victory, down from three-quarters when Russia’s full-scale invasion began. Around seven in 10 respondents backed immediate negotiations.
The survey, held early last month, excluded occupied territories, which comprise roughly 10% of the population. More than 12,000 Ukrainian civilians have died in the war, with tens of thousands of soldiers on both sides killed. Despite heavy losses, Russian forces continue their slow advance along the 600-mile front line.