Putin and Zelensky set for historic face-off in two weeks — Trump may join second summit to end Ukraine war

The war in Ukraine has been going on for almost three years now, but a big change could be coming. There are reports that Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky are getting ready to meet in person in the next two weeks.

Interestingly, US President Donald Trump is also hinting that he might go to a second summit to try to make peace.

After weeks of tough talks in Washington and Europe, President Trump has openly suggested that Ukraine could get "a lot of land" as part of any deal. There are still doubts about whether the Kremlin will stick to the deal, as per a report by The US Sun.

What has Donald Trump said about a deal for peace?

Donald Trump has said many times that Ukraine would "get a lot of land" in any deal that was reached. He made it clear that U.S. troops will not be sent to Ukraine, but he didn't go into detail. He also told Putin that not agreeing to talks would put Russia in a "rough situation."

Trump said on Fox & Friends that he thought the war should end soon: "Ukraine is going to get a lot of land." In the next few weeks, we'll learn more about President Putin, as per a report by The US Sun.

How did Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky set the stage?

This week, Zelensky went to Washington to try to fix things after months of problems. The talks between the Ukrainian leader and Trump were the "best yet," and Trump praised their progress and promised security guarantees for Kyiv, but he didn't say that American troops would be on the ground.

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The friendly conversation was different from the tense ones that had come before. Trump welcomed Zelensky to the White House with open arms and even complimented his clothes before they sat down to talk about what to do next. Later, European leaders, such as British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron, joined them and called for stronger guarantees, as per a report by The US Sun.

Will Putin agree to attend the second summit?

That is still the most uncertain thing. Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz said that a meeting between Putin and Zelensky is likely to happen "within two weeks." However, the Kremlin has not officially confirmed the plan. Russian officials have not always been willing to commit, and the lack of a response from Moscow makes it hard to believe that Putin will follow through.

Dmitry Medvedev, a high-ranking official in the Kremlin, openly made fun of the Washington summit by calling European leaders "warmongers" and making fun of Zelensky. This kind of talk has made people doubt what Russia really wants.

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Could Donald Trump hold a second summit?

People close to Trump say he wants to be seen as a mediator in a possible second round of talks. Reports say he called Putin for 40 minutes during a recent summit and told him to agree to three-way talks. According to aides, both men said good things about keeping the talks going, as per a report by The US Sun.

Later, Trump told reporters, "The war is going to end. This gentleman wants it to end, Vladimir Putin wants it to end, I think the whole world is tired of it, and we're going to get it ended," as quoted in a report.

On a hot mic, Trump stated that Putin wants to "make a deal" and that the war could not end without three-way negotiations between Ukraine, Russia, and the US.

Zelensky told reporters following Monday's summit with the US president and European allies, "We are ready for a bilateral with Putin,” as per a report by The US Sun.

Trump's security assurances, according to Zelensky, are a "key issue" and a crucial "starting point for ending the war."

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated that Zelensky would meet with the Russian tyrant "within two weeks"; however, the precise location has not yet been confirmed.

It followed the postponement of Trump's meeting with his European allies while he called Putin to pressure him into agreeing to trilateral talks.

It's not clear if Trump can turn those words into a long-lasting peace deal. Still, the chance of the first meeting between Zelensky and Putin since February 2022 has made people in Europe cautiously hopeful.


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FAQs

When will Zelensky and Putin get together?
There are reports that the meeting could happen in the next two weeks, but the place has not been set yet.

Is Trump taking part in the peace talks?
Trump hasn't gone to the first summit, but he has said he might go to a second meeting with Putin and Zelensky.