President Donald Trump and President Vladimir Putin have agreed to meet face-to-face. The Kremlin confirmed the news on Thursday, Aug. 7.
Putin’s foreign affairs adviser, Yuri Ushakov, said the summit could possibly take place next week at a venue both sides have agreed to, “in principle.”
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The confirmation is a significant development in Trump’s push to end the war in Ukraine.
Russia said the U.S. proposed the meeting, but the White House claimed Moscow did. Either way, both sides stated that they are working to hold a summit, with plans to announce the date and location soon.
The meeting will be the first U.S.-Russia summit since 2021, when former President Joe Biden met with Putin in Geneva.
Will Zelenskyy join the meeting?
Putin’s team is now downplaying the chances of Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy joining the meeting. However, Trump continues to push for a 3-way meeting.
The proposal comes after Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, met with Putin in Moscow on Wednesday. After the visit, President Trump said the meeting was “highly productive.”
Ushakov said that Witkoff’s suggestion of a meeting including Ukraine’s leader “was not specifically discussed.” Holding the meeting without Zelenskyy would signify a departure from the Biden administration’s policy of “nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine.”
Trump later updated European leaders, including Zelenskyy. He said they made “great progress,” and it’s time to end the war.
Zelenskyy confirmed that call, saying Russia now seems more inclined to agree to a ceasefire, but warned it’s crucial that Russia doesn’t deceive everyone.
So far, Trump and Putin have not indicated whether they invited Zelenksyy to join the upcoming summit. The Kremlin said its focus is on making sure the bilateral Trump-Putin meeting is “successful and productive.”
Trump’s Russia deadline
Meanwhile, Trump’s Friday noon deadline for Russia to halt the war is still officially in place. If Russia does not comply, Moscow could face a new wave of sanctions. The sanctions include penalties for countries still buying Russia’s oil.
On Wednesday, Trump implemented an additional 25% tariff on imports from India, one of Moscow’s biggest oil customers. This move brings the total tariff to 50%.
It’s unclear whether the upcoming summit will affect the Friday deadline.
