President Donald Trump could meet Russian President Vladimir Putin as early as next week to discuss the war in Ukraine, a senior White House official confirmed Wednesday. The potential meeting would be the first direct talks between a sitting U.S. and Russian leader since 2021 and comes amid rising diplomatic pressure on Moscow to end the conflict.
Trump has also expressed openness to a trilateral meeting with both Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. Speaking to reporters, he said, “There’s a good chance that there will be a meeting very soon.” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt added that the president is “open to meeting with both President Putin and President Zelenskiy,” following a request from Moscow.
The developments follow a Wednesday meeting between Putin and U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff, which Trump called “great progress,” though he stopped short of labeling it a breakthrough. The Kremlin described the talks as “useful and constructive.”
Trump has given Moscow until Friday to agree to peace terms or face a new round of secondary sanctions, potentially targeting countries that continue to buy Russian exports, particularly oil. Among them is China, which Trump warned could be next after imposing a 25% tariff on Indian imports over its Russian oil purchases. “We did it with India. We’re doing it probably with a couple of others. One of them could be China,” Trump said.
India’s foreign ministry called the new tariffs “extremely unfortunate,” while the Kremlin dismissed the threat of sanctions as illegal.
Meanwhile, Zelenskiy confirmed that he had spoken with Trump and welcomed the pressure being placed on Russia. In his nightly address, he said, “The pressure on them works. But the main thing is that they do not deceive us in the details, neither us nor the U.S.”
As peace efforts intensify, reports from Bloomberg and Russian outlet The Bell indicate that Moscow may propose a mutual moratorium on airstrikes, an idea floated last week by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko. While short of a full ceasefire, the measure could reduce civilian casualties and signal a shift in battlefield dynamics.
Despite diplomatic overtures, Kremlin insiders told Reuters that Putin remains unlikely to yield to Trump’s ultimatum, believing Russia holds the upper hand militarily. They also questioned the effectiveness of further sanctions, citing limited impact from prior waves of penalties.
The U.S. is preparing for a decisive week, with sanctions looming, tariff talks with China nearing a critical deadline, and the potential for historic peace talks that could reshape the war’s trajectory.
Written By Rodney Mbua
