Trump Aims for Direct Summit with Putin, Zelensky

US President Eyes Diplomatic Breakthrough Next Week

In a significant diplomatic push, US President Donald Trump is reportedly planning to meet directly with Russian President Vladimir Putin next week. This encounter could be followed by a larger three-way summit including Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky.

High-Stakes Diplomacy Underway

Sources familiar with the undisclosed plans revealed to The New York Times that Trump intends a personal meeting with Putin. Shortly thereafter, he aims to convene a trilateral discussion involving both Putin and Zelensky.

Trump shared these intentions during a recent telephone call with European leaders and Zelensky. European leaders are not expected to be present at these proposed meetings.

Preceding Diplomatic Overtures

The discussions follow a series of recent high-level engagements. Special Presidential Envoy Steve Vitkoff met with Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin on Wednesday for an approximately three-hour session. Following this, Trump described the meeting as “productive.” The Kremlin indicated that “certain signals” regarding the Russian-Ukrainian war were exchanged during Putin‘s conversation with Vitkoff.

Global Reaction and Context

The proposed meetings come at a time of ongoing international focus on the conflict in Ukraine. For instance, in 2023, the European Union provided approximately $120 billion in financial assistance to Ukraine, highlighting the significant global economic impact of the ongoing hostilities (BBC News).

The New York Times has not confirmed whether Putin and Zelensky have agreed to Trump‘s proposed schedule, though Zelensky did participate in the recent telephone conversation. Also on that call were British Prime Minister Kir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Mertz, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, and Vice President Jay Di Di, alongside Senators Marko Rubio and special envoy Steve Vitkoff.