Ahmed Kamel – Egypt Daily News
The Kremlin announced Thursday that Russian President Vladimir Putin has agreed to meet with former U.S. President Donald Trump “in the coming days,” in what could mark a significant moment in international diplomacy amid ongoing efforts to end the war in Ukraine.
Yuri Ushakov, a senior adviser to Putin, confirmed the development, saying, “Work on the summit has now begun.” While no official date or location for the meeting has been disclosed, Ushakov added that the venue had been agreed upon and would be revealed shortly.
The Kremlin emphasized that the anticipated summit would be bilateral between Putin and Trump only, despite earlier discussions about including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a potential trilateral session.
“White House special envoy Steve Witkoff raised the idea of a meeting involving Zelenskyy,” Ushakov said, “but the upcoming talks will be strictly between President Putin and Mr. Trump.”
The announcement follows a reportedly “highly productive” meeting between Putin and Witkoff in Moscow on Wednesday, which came ahead of Trump’s self-imposed deadline for Russia to make meaningful progress toward a ceasefire or face new economic sanctions. That deadline falls on Friday, August 8.
Trump, speaking on social media, described the discussions as a major step forward: “Great progress was made! Afterwards, I updated some of our European allies. Everyone agrees this war must come to a close, and we will work towards that in the days and weeks to come.”
The upcoming summit could carry major geopolitical weight. Last month, Trump threatened to impose sweeping new sanctions including so-called secondary sanctions targeting nations that continue to purchase Russian fossil fuels, most notably India and China if Putin did not agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine by August 8.
The prospect of such penalties, which could significantly disrupt global energy markets, has drawn concern from both allies and adversaries. European leaders have privately expressed hope that Trump’s direct engagement with Putin might produce some form of breakthrough, even if temporary.
Details of Trump’s strategy remain unclear. Since returning to the campaign trail, he has repeatedly claimed that he could resolve the war in Ukraine “within 24 hours” if re-elected. While those assertions have been widely criticized as unrealistic, his behind-the-scenes diplomatic push, with Putin seemingly receptive marks a shift in tone and engagement.
The Trump-Putin meeting, if it proceeds as planned, would be their first known face-to-face interaction since Trump left office. It would also be one of the most significant foreign policy developments in the context of the 2024 U.S. presidential campaign, where Trump continues to lead the Republican field.
The White House has not formally confirmed the meeting or provided any comment on the discussions between Witkoff and Putin. Likewise, Ukrainian officials have yet to react publicly to news that they will not be part of the upcoming talks, though Kyiv has previously expressed skepticism about Trump’s proposed ceasefire terms.
For now, international attention is focused on what, if anything, emerges from the looming Trump-Putin summit and whether it can produce tangible progress toward ending a war that has cost tens of thousands of lives and reshaped the global order.
