Trump softens stance on ceasefire deadline as Putin summit takes shape
President Donald Trump said Thursday that Russian President Vladimir Putin wants to meet with him — and that he’s willing to do “whatever I can to stop the killing” in Ukraine. Trump’s tone marked a clear shift, just as the Kremlin confirmed preparations are underway for talks as early as next week.
Putin later suggested the United Arab Emirates as a suitable location, a day after Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff met Putin in Moscow.
Will Zelenskyy be involved?
A White House official initially told The Washington Post the president would meet Putin only if such a meeting occurred. But by Thursday afternoon, Trump said Putin does not need to agree to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy before a U.S.-Russia summit.
Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the administration is still working through details and that Trump hopes to meet with both leaders.
The Kremlin resisted the idea of a trilateral meeting. Putin aide Yuri Ushakov said the Americans first proposed it, and Moscow hasn’t signed on. Zelenskyy, meanwhile, said on X that several formats were under discussion.
“Everyone knows for sure that in Russia, all key decisions are made by one person and that this person fears U.S. sanctions and that it is just that Ukraine be a participant in the negotiations,” Zelenskyy said. “So the format of leaders’ meetings is, in particular, a trilateral format. We discussed this in detail yesterday: several bilateral formats and a trilateral one.”
Russia’s terms for ending the war
Analysts say Putin has long viewed direct talks with the U.S. president as the best path to achieving key aims in Ukraine, including keeping the country out of NATO and limiting its military capabilities, according to The New York Times. Ushakov said Putin conveyed unspecified “signals” on Ukraine to Witkoff. Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko floated an “air truce,” The Post reported.
Trump, who has warned of additional penalties, said whether new sanctions proceed is “up to” Putin.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Russia outlined conditions to end the war, but cautioned they may be unacceptable.
Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
