Trump pushes for Putin–Zelensky summit in new bid to end war

US President Donald Trump says he’s working to set up a face-to-face meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, the first since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion in 2022.

Trump floated the idea on Monday as he welcomed Zelensky and key European leaders, including France’s Emmanuel Macron and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, to the White House for high-stakes talks on ending the war.

He later announced on Truth Social that he had already spoken with Putin and that “arrangements” for the summit were underway. Trump added that he plans to meet both leaders together after their one-on-one talks, calling it “a very good, early step for a War that has been going on for almost four years.”

Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff are said to be handling the coordination with Moscow and Kyiv. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and NATO chief Mark Rutte also confirmed that Putin had agreed in principle to a bilateral with Zelensky, though no date or location has been set.

Zelensky, speaking after his White House meeting, called his talks with Trump “a very good conversation” and said he was “ready” to meet Putin directly.

Russia hasn’t officially confirmed the summit, though presidential aide Yuri Ushakov told state media that Putin and Trump had both backed “continuing direct talks” between Russia and Ukraine.

If it happens, the meeting would mark the first time Putin and Zelensky sit down face-to-face since the war began.