As the Trump-imposed deadline approaches for Russia to work out a peace deal with Ukraine, a meeting between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin is in the works.
The date and location of the meeting remains undecided as the two sides negotiate whether Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will attend, but both the White House and the Kremlin have sent positive signals that the meeting will take place “in the coming days.”
After Putin advisor Yuri Ushakov reported Thursday that a location had been set for the meeting, the White House refuted Ushakov’s claim due to Putin’s reluctance to meet with Zelenskyy, per ABC News. A White House official said the meeting won’t go ahead if Putin is unwilling to include Zelenskyy in talks.
Zelenskyy expressed desire to be a part of the meeting on social media Thursday, saying “Ukraine is not afraid of meetings.”
“The war is happening in Europe, and Ukraine is an integral part of Europe,” Zelenskyy said. “Europe must be a participant in the relevant processes.”
Trump set a deadline of Friday for the Kremlin to work out a peace agreement with Ukraine or face steep sanctions. This will likely come in the form of secondary sanctions at a rate of 100% on countries who import Russian oil and gas.
Special Envoy Steve Witkoff jetted off to Moscow this week to negotiate with Putin ahead of the Friday deadline. Although Trump reported the meeting was “highly productive,” no peace deal or sanctions extension have been announced.
The conflict between Russia and Ukraine has spanned more than three years and constitutes the deadliest conflict in Europe since World War II. After months of negotiations, Trump grew frustrated with Putin last month, calling his participation in peace talks “meaningless.”
“He’s very nice all the time, but it turns out to be meaningless,” Trump said.
Since then, the U.S. has upped its pressure on Russia and shifted to a strategy of economic retaliation. Trump appeared uncertain this week about the prospects of a ceasefire, suggesting optimism but saying he’s “been disappointed before.”
Unless a last-minute deal is struck, U.S. sanctions against Russia are set to go into effect Friday.
