The White House has confirmed that Russia has requested a meeting between President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump, with the American leader open to holding talks aimed at ending the ongoing Ukraine war.
The development follows reports that a high-stakes summit involving Trump, Putin, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky could happen as early as next week.
“The Russians expressed their desire to meet with President Trump, and the president is open to meeting with both President Putin and President Zelensky,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Wednesday.
According to AFP, Trump and Zelensky discussed the idea of a possible summit during a phone call that also included NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and the leaders of Britain, Germany, and Finland.
The call came after Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, held talks with Putin in Moscow. Trump later called the meeting “highly productive,” though the White House stressed that fresh sanctions would still be imposed on Moscow’s trading partners — including India — by Friday.
The New York Times reported that Trump plans to meet Putin first, followed by a three-way summit with Zelensky. While neither NATO nor Ukrainian officials have confirmed the summit, the momentum appears to be building.
In a separate announcement on Wednesday, Trump slapped an additional 25 percent tariff on Indian imports, raising the total to 50 percent. The move came in response to India’s continued purchases of Russian oil.
Trump, who has long claimed he could end the Ukraine conflict “within 24 hours of taking office,” has now reportedly given Moscow a Friday deadline to make progress toward peace or face expanded sanctions.
