US President Donald Trump expressed optimism about a potential face-to-face meeting between the Russian and Ukrainian presidents to help end the war in Ukraine. He mentioned productive talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin and suggested that a summit could happen soon, although the location remains undecided. The White House hinted that a Trump-Putin summit might take place as early as next week, which would be the first in years, as the last in-person meeting between U.S. and Russian leaders occurred in 2021, before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Trump has set a deadline for Putin to make progress on a ceasefire by Friday, threatening new sanctions if no progress is made. In parallel, Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff held a three-hour meeting with Putin in Moscow, which the Kremlin described as constructive.
Following that, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke with Trump and European leaders, noting that Russia seems more open to a ceasefire under pressure, but warned against being misled by vague details.
Despite these diplomatic efforts, Russia has continued its attacks, including a recent strike on a holiday camp in Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region, killing two and injuring several others.