President Donald Trump is preparing to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as early as next week, following what the White House described as “highly productive” backchannel discussions in Moscow.
According to multiple reports, Trump informed European leaders during a phone call on Wednesday that he intends to host a three-way summit with Putin and Zelensky alone—without the involvement of other nations or NATO officials. The goal: secure an agreement to end the nearly three-year conflict in Ukraine.
The move comes after Steve Witkoff, Trump’s special envoy, met with Putin in the Kremlin earlier that day. The meeting reportedly produced significant movement toward a ceasefire, and according to both the White House and the Kremlin, the talks were “constructive.”
“Great progress was made,” Trump posted on Truth Social. “Everyone agrees this war must come to a close, and we will work towards that in the days and weeks to come.”
No location has been set for the potential summit, but the momentum is unmistakable. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Fox Business that “an opportunity will present itself very soon” for Trump to meet both world leaders, though he emphasized that obstacles remain.
The summit, if finalized, would follow Trump’s self-imposed deadline for Russia to reach a peace agreement by Friday. The president has already warned Moscow that failure to negotiate in good faith will result in a round of sweeping secondary tariffs. These measures would target countries still doing business with Russia, especially in energy exports, as a way to choke off the funding pipeline for Putin’s military.
European leaders briefed on the developments reportedly include U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. Zelensky himself was also on the call, signaling his potential openness to Trump’s direct diplomacy.
Trump’s tougher stance on Russia has also been backed by visible shows of military force. Last week, he deployed two U.S. nuclear submarines into strategic waters near Europe, after former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev threatened Western nations in public comments.
The pressure campaign appears to be yielding results. Kremlin officials praised the Putin-Witkoff meeting and said they are reviewing the terms for a potential agreement. U.S. officials say the White House expects Friday’s tariff deadline to hold, even as preparations for a summit move forward.
A Trump-brokered peace would mark a dramatic shift in the conflict, one that not only strengthens America’s global position but also showcases the return of high-level diplomacy driven directly by the Oval Office—not by unelected bureaucrats or foreign power brokers.
If next week’s summit proceeds as planned, it could be the most consequential diplomatic meeting since the end of the Cold War—one that potentially secures Trump the elusive peace that globalists and NATO hawks failed to deliver.
The post Trump Looking To Meet With Putin, Zelensky Next Week appeared first on Real News Now.
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