Donald Trump to meet Putin with Zelensky for face to face Ukraine peace talks
Putin held talks with Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff in Moscow today, the Kremlin said, just days before the White House's deadline for Russia to reach a peace deal with Ukraine or potentially face severe economic penalties that could also hit countries buying its oil.
Since, Trump is understood to have told European leaders including Sir Keir Starmer that he could meet with Putin, before a potential trilateral meeting with the Ukrainian president. It remains unclear if Putin and Zelensky have agreed to the idea, which was reported by The New York Times earlier today.
Follow our live blog below for the latest updates.
21:06Benjamin Lynch
Zelensky on call with European leaders
Zelensky was on the call with Starmer and other European leaders including NATO secretary general Mark Rutte and German chancellor Friedrich Merz.
On social media, Zelensky said the war must come to an end in a way that is done 'honestly' and that leaders 'discussed what was spelled out in Moscow' during the call.
'Ukraine will definitely defend its independence,' he said. 'We all need a lasting and reliable peace. Russia must end the war that it itself started. Thank you to everyone who stands with Ukraine.'
21:06Benjamin Lynch
Trump 'proposes talks with Putin and Zelensky'
Trump is understood to have told European leaders including Sir Keir Starmer that he could meet with Putin, before a potential trilateral meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
It remains unclear if Putin and Zelensky have agreed to the idea, which was reported by The New York Times earlier today.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Herald Scotland
40 minutes ago
- The Herald Scotland
Trump could meet Putin as soon as next week, White House official says
The White House said Mr Trump was also open to a meeting with both Mr Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. A meeting between Mr Putin and Mr Trump would be their first since Mr Trump returned to office this year. Russian President Vladimir Putin and US special envoy Steve Witkoff shake hands during their meeting in Moscow on Wednesday (Gavriil Grigorov, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP) It would be a significant milestone in the three-year-old war, though there is no promise such a meeting would lead to the end of the fighting since Russia and Ukraine remain far apart on their demands. News of a potential meeting with Mr Putin, which was first reported by The New York Times, came hours after Mr Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff met Mr Putin in Moscow. Mr Trump had posted earlier on Truth Social that Mr Witkoff 'had a highly productive meeting' with Mr Putin in which 'great progress was made'. It was not immediately clear if Mr Putin or Mr Zelensky had agreed to any meetings with Mr Trump. Mr Zelensky has been willing to meet face-to-face with Mr Putin to end the conflict, but Russia has repeatedly rejected the idea. Mr Trump has met Mr Zelensky several times this year, including a contentious February meeting in Washington. Though he has not yet met Mr Putin this year, Mr Trump met with him five times during his first term. Mr Trump said earlier on Wednesday that he updated America's allies in Europe and that they will work toward an end to the Russia-Ukraine war 'in the days and weeks to come'. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said: 'The Russians expressed their desire to meet with President Trump, and the President is open to meeting with both President Putin and President Zelensky.' Her statement did not address the potential timing of any meeting. Mr Witkoff met Mr Putin days before the White House's deadline for Russia to reach a peace deal with Ukraine or potentially face severe economic penalties that could also hit countries buying its oil. The meeting between Mr Putin and Mr Witkoff lasted about three hours, the Kremlin said. Mr Putin's foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov said Mr Putin and Mr Witkoff had a 'useful and constructive conversation' that focused on the Ukrainian crisis and, in a nod toward improving relations between Washington and Moscow, 'prospects for possible development of strategic co-operation' between the United States and Russia.
Sky News
2 hours ago
- Sky News
Trump could meet Putin as early as next week to discuss Ukraine ceasefire
Donald Trump could meet Vladimir Putin in person as early as next week to discuss a ceasefire in Ukraine, a White House official has said. They said the meeting would be conditional on the Russian president meeting his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Sky News's US partner network NBC News reported. It came days before the White House's deadline for Russia to reach a peace deal with Ukraine or face severe economic penalties, which could also target countries buying its oil. Earlier in the day, Mr Putin held talks with Mr Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff in Moscow, with the meeting lasting around three hours. In a post on Truth Social, Mr Trump said Mr Witkoff "had a highly productive meeting" with Mr Putin in which "great progress was made". He said he had updated America's European allies and they will work towards an end to the Russia-Ukraine war "in the days and weeks to come". Mr Zelenskyy later said he and Mr Trump spoke on the phone after the meeting. He said "European leaders also participated in the conversation" and "we discussed what was said in Moscow". He added: "Our common position with our partners is absolutely clear: The war must end. We all need lasting and reliable peace. Russia must end the war that it started." He later said: "It seems that Russia is now more inclined to agree to a ceasefire." He added that the pressure on Moscow "is working", without elaborating, and stressed it was important to make sure Russia does not "deceive us or the United States" when it comes to "the details" of a potential agreement. Please refresh the page for the fullest version.
Daily Mail
3 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Report: Trump to meet Putin face-to-face as soon as next week
President Donald Trump is planning to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin as soon as next week and could bring the Russian leader face-to-face with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Trump shared this pitch on a phone call with European leaders Wednesday, The New York Times reported , after his special envoy Steve Witkoff met in-person with Putin at the Kremlin earlier in the day. In recent months, Trump has expressed disgust with Putin's continued bombing campaigns of Ukraine, despite being in contact with the U.S. leader. Trump hinted, however, there had been a breakthrough during Witkoff's meeting. In his social media post, he did not disclose the potential planned meeting with Putin and a possible Trump-Putin-Zelensky summit. 'Everyone agrees this War must come to a close, and we will work towards that in the days and weeks to come,' Trump said, using his trademark closing, 'Thank you for your attention to this matter!' Zelensky and Witkoff were on Trump's call with European leaders, which included NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. Secretary of State Marco Rubio also joined. Trump said the meetings would only include himself, Putin and Zelensky, The Times report said, with the European leaders appearing to accept the American leader's plan. The Republican president hasn't met in-person with Putin since November 2018, when they engaged in an informal conversation on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Buenos Aires.
