WASHINGTON, D.C. – President Donald Trump could meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin as early as next week. It would be their first in-person meeting since Trump’s return to office.
Putin has suggested that the potential meeting could take place in the UAE but details are still very limited right now. We expect the pair to talk about ending Russia’s war in Ukraine and potentially the additional sanctions that the President has threatened against Russia. The Kremlin is dismissing the President’s proposal for a three-way summit involving Putin and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Zelenskyy wrote on ‘X’ that Ukraine is not afraid of meetings and expects the same brave approach from the Russian side.
In a press briefing Thursday afternoon, the State Department Principal Deputy Spokesperson, Tommy Pigott, was asked if Putin’s meeting with the President is another delay tactic and how confident they are something substantial will come out of this meeting.
“We stand ready to aid in the pursuit of peace to try to end this conflict,” said Pigott. “Stop this carnage. That is our driving policy here. That remains our driving policy and getting the sides to the table is key to reaching a diplomatic solution to this conflict. So, it’s not about trust, it’s about action and doing everything we can to aid in the pursuit of peace and bring this war to an end.”
Friday is Trump’s deadline for Russia to end the war in Ukraine or face new economic sanctions. We reached out to the White House to see if those sanctions are still happening after the meeting between the pair was announced. So far, we have not heard back yet.
