Trump tells Europe: Direct talks with Putin coming soon

President Donald Trump informed European leaders on August 6 that he intends to hold a face-to-face meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and, subsequently, a three-way summit including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. 

A German official told POLITICO that Trump revealed these plans during a phone call with several European leaders, following a recent meeting between Putin and Trump’s special envoy in Moscow. The call included German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, President Zelenskyy, and other unnamed leaders. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the discussion, did not confirm a date for the planned meetings.

No US president has met with Putin since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022. However, Trump has spoken by phone with the Russian leader several times since returning to the White House.

The New York Times previously reported that Trump’s meeting with Putin could take place as early as next week, although the German source did not confirm the timing.

The White House has not yet publicly confirmed whether Trump shared this diplomatic plan during the European leaders’ call. Earlier on Wednesday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said that Trump remained open to meeting Putin but declined to comment on whether a concrete proposal had been discussed.

Speaking at a White House event later that day, Trump said there is “a really good prospect” of a meeting with both Putin and Zelenskyy. However, he downplayed suggestions that the initiative represented a diplomatic “breakthrough.”

Secretary of State Marco Rubio echoed the possibility in an interview with Fox Business, saying, “An opportunity will present itself very soon for the president to meet both with Vladimir Putin and with President Zelenskyy… hopefully in the near future.” Still, Rubio cautioned that “a lot has to happen before that can occur.”

Trump also commented on the recent three-hour meeting in Moscow between his special envoy, Steve Witkoff, and President Putin, calling it “highly productive,” though he did not elaborate on the specifics of the discussion.

What remains unclear is how these diplomatic overtures will affect Trump’s previously announced Friday deadline for imposing new sanctions on countries that continue to buy Russian energy. Trump has threatened this move as a way to increase pressure on Moscow if it fails to make progress toward a peaceful resolution of the conflict.

Despite the new developments, a senior administration official, speaking anonymously, said Wednesday that the White House still expects the president to follow through on the August 8 sanctions deadline.

Throughout his second term, Trump has repeatedly pledged to bring an end to the war in Ukraine, claiming he could achieve peace “on day one.” However, progress has been elusive. Russia has continued its aerial bombardment of civilian areas, frustrating both US and Ukrainian officials. In July, Trump warned of sweeping sanctions targeting Russian oil sales, which have helped keep the country’s economy afloat despite broad international isolation since the invasion.

By Tamilla Hasanova