Trump ready to meet Putin "very soon" amid intensified Ukraine talks

Thursday 07 August 2025 - 07:45

In a surprising turn of diplomacy, U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday the possibility of a “very soon” meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, as part of renewed efforts to bring an end to the war in Ukraine. This comes following what the White House described as a “productive” visit by Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, to Moscow.

“There’s a good chance there will be a meeting very soon,” Trump said during a press briefing in the Oval Office. He didn’t specify a date or location, but American media reports suggest a possible face-to-face with Putin next week, followed by a trilateral meeting including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Zelensky reacted by stating that “Russia now seems more inclined to agree to a ceasefire,” but warned against being deceived, emphasizing the importance of maintaining pressure on Moscow.

The last full-fledged U.S.–Russia summit was in June 2021 between Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin in Geneva. Since returning to power in January, Trump has re-established communication channels with Moscow through several phone calls.

Despite his openness to dialogue, Trump also issued new threats of secondary sanctions, particularly targeting countries trading with Russia. Last week, tariffs on Indian imports were raised from 25% to 50% due to India’s purchases of Russian oil. The goal: to choke Moscow’s war funding.

Steve Witkoff’s three-hour meeting with Putin in Moscow was described as “very constructive” by both Russian and U.S. officials. Following that, Trump held a phone conversation with Zelensky, joined by key Western allies including the UK, Germany, Finland, and NATO’s secretary general.

Tensions remain high, however. Two U.S. nuclear submarines were recently deployed following online threats from former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. Trump, who campaigned on ending the Ukraine war quickly, appears increasingly frustrated with Putin’s intransigence.

Meanwhile, Russian bombings overnight killed a woman in Zaporizhzhia and injured four in Dnipro. Moscow continues to demand Ukraine cede control over four partially occupied regions—Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson—as well as Crimea, annexed in 2014, and that Kyiv abandon its NATO ambitions.