Russian President Vladimir Putin has expressed a desire to meet with US President Donald Trump next week, potentially in the United Arab Emirates. This announcement followed Putin’s discussions with Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the president of the UAE, on Thursday at the Kremlin. While no specific date has been confirmed, a Kremlin official indicated that preparations are underway for what could be a significant bilateral meeting.
Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov stated, “At the suggestion of the American side, an agreement was essentially reached to hold a bilateral meeting at the highest level in the coming days.” He added that the venue would be announced “a little later,” emphasizing the urgency of the discussions. This upcoming summit would mark the first meeting between Trump and Putin since Trump took office this year and the first encounter between a sitting US and Russian president since Joe Biden met Putin in Geneva in June 2021.
The backdrop of this potential meeting is complex, particularly concerning the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy have not met since December 2019 and have openly expressed mutual disdain. Reports suggest that Trump informed European leaders during a call on Wednesday of his intention to meet with Putin and subsequently hold a trilateral meeting involving Zelenskiy.
The White House confirmed that the Russians expressed their interest in meeting with Trump, who remains open to engaging with both Putin and Zelenskiy. Karoline Leavitt, White House Press Secretary, stated, “The president is open to meeting with both President Putin and President Zelenskiy.”
Details of the meeting emerged after a discussion on Wednesday between Putin and US special envoy Steve Witkoff, which Trump characterized as achieving “great progress.” While he refrained from calling it a breakthrough, a Kremlin aide described the talks as “useful and constructive.”
Diplomatic efforts are intensifying as Trump has set a deadline for Russia to agree to a peace plan regarding Ukraine. Should Russia fail to comply, Trump has indicated that new sanctions will be imposed. He has expressed frustration with Putin over the stagnant peace process, threatening to implement heavy tariffs on nations purchasing Russian exports, including oil.
On Wednesday, Trump announced an additional 25 percent tariff on imports from India due to its continued procurement of Russian oil. He suggested that similar measures could be extended to other nations, including China. “We did it with India. We’re doing it probably with a couple of others. One of them could be China,” he noted.
A White House official indicated that while the meeting with Witkoff and Putin was productive, secondary sanctions against countries conducting business with Russia are still expected to be enacted. Ushakov mentioned that the two sides had exchanged “signals” regarding the situation in Ukraine and discussed the potential for strategic cooperation between Moscow and Washington.
In his nightly address, Zelenskiy affirmed the effectiveness of international pressure on Russia, suggesting that it has made Moscow more “inclined” towards a ceasefire. He cautioned, however, that vigilance is necessary to ensure that the details of any agreements are not misleading.
With these developments unfolding, the potential meeting between Trump and Putin next week could hold significant implications for international relations and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
