Trump Says Likely To Hold Talks With Putin Soon Amid Ukraine Ceasefire

U.S. President Donald Trump has indicated he could meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin “very soon,” following what he described as highly productive talks in Moscow between Putin and Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff.

The proposed summit was discussed during a phone call between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, which reportedly included NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and the leaders of Britain, Germany, and Finland, according to a senior source in Kyiv.

“There’s a good chance that there will be a meeting very soon,” Trump told reporters at the White House on Wednesday when asked about potential talks with both Putin and Zelensky. However, he gave no indication of where the meeting with Putin might take place. If it goes ahead, it would mark the first U.S.-Russia summit since President Joe Biden met Putin in Geneva in June 2021.

According to The New York Times and CNN, sources familiar with the planning say Trump could meet Putin as early as next week, followed by a potential three-way meeting with both Putin and Zelensky.

Zelensky, speaking Wednesday evening, said Russia appeared more open to a ceasefire.

“The pressure on them is working,” he noted but warned against any deception.

“The main thing is that they do not deceive us or the United States in the details.”

Trump’s call with Zelensky followed envoy Steve Witkoff’s three-hour meeting with Russian officials in Moscow earlier in the day. The Kremlin described the talks as “productive”, with Putin’s aide Yuri Ushakov calling the conversation “useful and constructive”.

Trump later posted on Truth Social: “Great progress was made!” and confirmed he had briefed several European allies. “Everyone agrees this war must come to a close, and we will work toward that in the days and weeks to come,” he wrote.

Despite the optimism, a senior U.S. official said new “secondary sanctions” against Russia were still expected to take effect within two days.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Witkoff returned with a ceasefire proposal from Moscow, which would be discussed with Ukraine and European allies. However, he cautioned that a Trump-Putin summit could still be weeks away, as “a lot of work” remains.

Sanctions and Escalation

Trump, who has long claimed he could end the war within 24 hours of taking office, has given Russia until Friday to make concrete progress toward peace or face tougher sanctions. While three previous rounds of peace talks in Istanbul have failed, Trump hopes that growing international pressure may lead to a breakthrough.

Still, Russia has escalated attacks on Ukraine, ramping up drone and missile strikes and intensifying ground offensives.

Trump has expressed mounting frustration with Moscow’s continued aggression and hinted that further sanctions could target Russia’s trade partners, including China. Earlier on Wednesday, he imposed increased tariffs on Indian goods in response to New Delhi’s ongoing purchases of Russian oil.

The Kremlin pushed back on Tuesday, calling such trade threats “illegitimate”.

Tensions Rise Over Nuclear Threats

Amid escalating tensions, Trump revealed he had ordered the deployment of two U.S. nuclear submarines “to the region” following an online exchange with former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.

In response, Moscow announced it would lift its self-imposed moratorium on deploying intermediate-range nuclear missiles, suggesting it may place such weapons within range of NATO allies, citing alleged U.S. deployments near Russian borders.

Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022, tens of thousands have died, vast parts of Ukraine have been destroyed, and millions displaced.

While Moscow demands Ukraine cede additional territory and cut ties with Western allies, Kyiv is calling for an immediate ceasefire and has urged international partners to pressure Moscow—including advocating for “regime change”, as Zelensky stated last week.