President Donald Trump is preparing for a possible meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as soon as the week of August 11–17, according to The New York Times. Trump reportedly briefed European and Ukrainian leaders about his plan on August 6, following talks in Moscow between Putin and Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff.
The proposed summit would involve only the three leaders—Trump, Putin, and Zelensky—with no participation from European officials, according to NYT sources.
Sources cited by CNN confirmed that the summit could occur either next week or within two weeks. Two White House officials told CNN that the initiative originated with Putin, who raised the idea during his meeting with Witkoff. Trump then reportedly directed his team to expedite preparations for a three-way meeting.
Reuters also reported that Trump plans to meet with Putin next week, though its sources did not mention Zelensky. According to The Wall Street Journal, Trump remains open to joint talks with both leaders, though the date and venue are still being finalized.
White House Press Secretary Caroline Leavitt confirmed that “the Russians expressed interest in meeting with President Trump,” and that Trump is prepared to meet both Putin and Zelensky.
Speaking at an August 6 White House briefing, Trump said, “There’s a very good chance that they [Putin and Zelensky] will do it. We haven’t yet determined the location, but today we had very good talks with President Putin. And there’s a good chance we will conclude this round and this path. It’s been a long one, and it continues to be long, but the chances are good.”
The Kremlin confirmed the US-Russia meeting agreement through presidential aide Yuri Ushakov, who said preparations were ongoing and that a location had been chosen but would be announced later. Ushakov also noted that Witkoff “touched upon the idea” of three-way talks, though Moscow has yet to comment formally on that proposal.
Ushakov previously stated that Russia had sent “certain signals” to the US regarding Ukraine and had received “corresponding signals” from Trump.
Kirill Dmitriev, head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund and Kremlin envoy for international cooperation, stated, “There is progress, and positive forces will prevail.” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov had not commented publicly at the time of writing.
While Trump declined to label the Witkoff–Putin meeting a breakthrough, he described it as “very productive” in a Truth Social post, adding that “significant progress” had been made—though he provided no details.
Asked whether a peace deal was imminent, Trump said, “I don’t want to say. I’ve been disappointed before.” On whether Putin was being truthful, Trump replied, “We’ll find out in a few weeks.”
Territorial Concessions on the Table
Senator Marco Rubio told Fox Business that Russia had presented “specific examples” of conditions under which it would agree to peace. “I think, perhaps for the first time since this administration began, we have concrete indications of what Russia might demand to end the war,” Rubio said.
He stressed that any agreement would require buy-in from Ukraine and its European allies, adding, “If we can bring closer what is acceptable to Ukrainians and to Russians, then I think the president will have a chance to bring them together to end this conflict.”
Rubio also suggested that a Trump–Putin phone call might take place within days.
Putin's Demands and Zelensky’s Caution
Putin has previously said that Russia would agree to a ceasefire if Ukraine withdraws its troops from the entirety of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia regions. However, none of these are currently fully under Russian control.
Rubio reiterated that “territorial issues will be key to any end to the war,” noting that Russia has seized and continues to control various parts of Ukraine, including Crimea. “There must be concessions from both the Russians and the Ukrainians,” he said.
President Zelensky expressed guarded optimism, stating, “It seems Russia is now more oriented toward a ceasefire. The pressure on them is working. But the key is that they don’t deceive either us or the United States in the details.”
Zelensky added that Ukraine, together with European national security advisers, would soon define a unified position on ending the war. “This is very important for Ukraine. We will definitely defend our independence. And we all need a long-lasting and reliable peace. Russia must end the war it started,” the Ukrainian president concluded.
