The Kremlin announced on Thursday that a summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump is expected in the “coming days,” but Putin has largely ruled out the participation of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Putin mentioned the UAE as a possible venue, though the White House has not confirmed it. Zelensky insisted that he must be included in any discussions about Ukraine.
If held, this will be the first meeting between sitting US and Russian presidents since Joe Biden met Putin in Geneva in June 2021.
Since returning to the White House in January, Trump has sought to end Russia’s military offensive on Ukraine. However, three rounds of direct talks between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul have failed to produce a ceasefire, as both sides remain far apart on conditions for ending the war.
On Wednesday, Trump said he was likely to meet Putin “very soon.” Their last face-to-face meeting was at the G20 summit in Japan in 2019. Since Trump’s return to office, the two have spoken several times by phone.
“Both sides showed interest in the meeting,” Putin told reporters, appearing with UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
“We have many friends who are willing to help organize such events. The UAE president is one of them,” he added.
Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said next week is being targeted for the meeting, and that both sides have agreed “in principle” on a location, though no official name was given.
However, a White House official later denied that any venue or date had been finalized, saying: “No location has been determined,” though acknowledging the meeting “could occur as early as next week.”
Meanwhile, tens of thousands of people have been killed since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. Millions have been displaced, and eastern and southern regions of Ukraine have suffered widespread destruction.
Putin has continued to resist international calls for a ceasefire, despite appeals from the US, Europe, and Kyiv.
