TRUMP AND PUTIN TO MEET NEXT WEEK TO DISCUSS UKRAINE WAR

US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are set to meet as early as next week to discuss a potential end to the war in Ukraine. The meeting would mark the first summit between the leaders of the two countries since 2021.

Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov confirmed that preparations for the meeting are already underway, with the goal of holding the summit next week. “At the suggestion of the American side, an agreement has been reached in principle to hold a bilateral meeting at the highest level in the coming days,” Ushakov said.

The United Arab Emirates has been suggested as a possible venue for the meeting. Putin said that the UAE could be a “suitable” location for the talks, after welcoming its president, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, to Moscow.

US special envoy Steve Witkoff met with Putin on Wednesday, with Trump saying that there was “great progress” made in the talks. However, he later expressed caution about the prospects of ending the war, saying “I’ve been disappointed before with this one.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has expressed support for meetings to bring peace, saying “Ukraine is not afraid of meetings and expects the same brave approach from the Russian side. It is time we ended the war.” Zelensky also emphasized the need for European involvement in future peace talks and long-term security guarantees from both the US and Europe.

The meeting between Trump and Putin comes as the US president’s deadline for Moscow to show progress in ending its war in Ukraine looms. Trump has threatened to impose tough secondary sanctions on countries that buy Russian oil, including a 100% tariff. Just hours after the meeting between Witkoff and Putin, Trump imposed an additional 25% tariff on India as punishment for its imports of Russian oil.

Trump has been attempting to broker a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine since taking office in January, but there has been little progress. Russia has insisted that it wants peace while simultaneously ramping up its attacks on Ukraine. Critics have suggested that Putin’s actions are attempts to stall proceedings and buy time for his troops to gain further ground on the battlefield in Ukraine.