Trump Announces Plans to Meet Putin and Zelensky to Broker Ukraine-Russia Peace

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump announced plans to meet Russian President Vladimir V. Putin next week, followed by a trilateral summit with Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, aimed at ending the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, now in its fourth year, sources familiar with the matter said on Wednesday.

During a call with European leaders, including the UK prime minister, German chancellor, and NATO secretary general, Trump outlined his intention for exclusive meetings without European counterparts, according to two sources. European leaders, who have worked to mediate the conflict while supporting Ukraine, appeared to accept Trump’s approach, one source noted.

It remains unconfirmed whether Putin or Zelensky has agreed to the meetings. Zelensky, who joined the call, later stated he discussed the matter with Trump, stressing the need for an “honest end” to the war.

The call also included Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, who recently met Putin in Moscow for several hours. In a Truth Social post, Trump stated that he had updated European allies, adding, “Everyone agrees this War must come to a close, and we will work towards that in the days and weeks to come.”

Trump’s push for peace follows months of stalled efforts. A vocal critic of U.S. military aid to Ukraine, Trump recently authorized more arms sales to NATO allies for Ukraine’s use, frustrated by slow progress in talks with Russia. He has also publicly criticized Putin, accusing him of delaying negotiations, and threatened secondary sanctions against Russia.

Trump previously met Zelensky one-on-one at Pope Francis’ funeral in Rome, rebuffing French President Emmanuel Macron’s attempt to join. No immediate comment was received from the White House, Witkoff, Vance, Rubio, or Putin’s spokesman, Dmitri S. Peskov.

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