Trump-Putin summit likely next week, but no breakthrough yet: CNN

New Delhi, Aug 07: U.S. President Donald Trump said there was a “very good chance” of a summit meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, raising hopes of a potential diplomatic opening to end the Russia-Ukraine war. His remarks followed a three-hour meeting in Moscow between Putin and U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff, although Trump acknowledged there had been no “breakthrough” in those talks.

According to CNN, Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Wednesday that the discussions with Putin were “very good” and hinted that a meeting with the Russian leader could happen “very soon.” “There’s a good chance that we could be ending – the ending, the road ending, the end of that road,” he said, while noting that the path to peace remains long and uncertain.

Despite the absence of a concrete outcome from Witkoff’s visit to Moscow, Trump’s aides have reportedly begun preparing for a possible summit with Putin as early as next week, CNN reported, citing White House officials. These talks could be followed by trilateral negotiations involving Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

The CNN report also quoted White House officials saying that during his meeting with Witkoff, Putin indicated his willingness to meet with Trump. Trump has directed his team to expedite preparations, although a venue has not yet been finalised. The discussions are tentatively expected within the next two weeks. In a statement, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said: “The Russians expressed their desire to meet with President Trump, and the president is open to meeting with both President Putin and President Zelensky. President Trump wants this brutal war to end.”

The development comes against the backdrop of renewed U.S. pressure on Moscow. The Putin-Witkoff meeting occurred after Trump imposed a deadline on Russia to agree to a ceasefire or face secondary sanctions, including a 100% tariff on countries purchasing Russian oil. Trump wrote on social media following the Moscow talks that “great progress was made,” though he avoided giving specifics. It remains unclear whether Washington will proceed with sanctions if Russia fails to meet the ceasefire demand by the end of the week.

Putin last met a U.S. president in 2021 during a summit with Joe Biden in Geneva. Trump, who returned to the White House in January, has repeatedly said he would be willing to meet with Putin. The potential Trump-Putin meeting, if it takes place, would be a major diplomatic moment as the Russia-Ukraine war is entering its fourth year.