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WASHINGTON, D.C. â August 18, 2025 â U.S. President Donald Trump announced Monday that he has initiated arrangements for a direct meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, signaling a potential turning point in efforts to end the ongoing war in Ukraine.
Speaking after high-level talks at the White House with Zelenskyy and a coalition of European leaders, Trump confirmed that he had called President Putin to begin coordinating the meeting, which he said would take place âat a location to be determinedâ.
đ A Step Toward Dialogue
The proposed meeting between the Russian and Ukrainian leaders would mark the first direct engagement between the two since the conflict escalated in late 2023. Trump indicated that the bilateral meeting would be followed by a trilateral session involving himself, aimed at facilitating a broader peace framework.
âAt the conclusion of the meetings, I called President Putin and began the arrangements for a meeting between President Putin and President Zelenskyy,â Trump said. âAfter that meeting takes place, we will have a trilat, which would be the two Presidents, plus myselfâ.
đŁď¸ Security Guarantees and European Support
The announcement comes amid mounting pressure for a negotiated settlement. Zelenskyy has made security guarantees a central condition for any agreement, seeking assurances from the U.S. and European allies to safeguard Ukraineâs sovereignty post-conflict.
During Mondayâs White House meetings, Trump hosted leaders from the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Finland, the European Commission, and NATO. The group, described as a âcoalition of the willing,â expressed unified support for Ukraine and discussed mechanisms for delivering coordinated security guarantees.
đ Diplomatic Implications
The proposed PutinâZelenskyy meeting is expected to address key issues including territorial disputes, ceasefire terms, and humanitarian access. While no date or venue has been confirmed, diplomatic sources suggest that neutral groundâpossibly in Europe or the Middle Eastâis under consideration.
Trumpâs initiative follows his recent summit with Putin in Alaska, which ended without a ceasefire but reportedly made progress on preliminary terms. Observers note that the success of the upcoming meeting will depend on both sidesâ willingness to compromise and the credibility of international guarantees.
