Washington, D.C. — August 19, 2025 (Agencies): The White House has confirmed that plans are “underway” for a potential direct meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, following a high-stakes diplomatic summit hosted by U.S. President Donald Trump. The announcement marks a pivotal moment in efforts to end the nearly four-year war in Ukraine.
According to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, President Putin has “promised Trump” that he would agree to a face-to-face meeting with Zelensky, though no date or location has been finalized. The Kremlin has stopped short of formally committing, with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stating that Russia remains open to further talks but has not confirmed participation.
The breakthrough follows a series of meetings at the White House on August 18, where Trump hosted Zelensky and a coalition of European leaders including UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. The summit focused on crafting a framework for peace and exploring security guarantees for Ukraine.
President Trump told Fox News that he had “sort of set up” the meeting between Putin and Zelensky, but emphasized that “they’re the ones that have to call the shots.” He also ruled out deploying U.S. troops to enforce any future peace deal, stating, “We’re willing to help them with things, especially probably by air, but no boots on the ground.”
Trump’s remarks stirred controversy after he appeared to misplace blame for the war, saying, “You don’t take on a nation that’s 10 times your size,” despite Russia’s widely condemned invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
European leaders reportedly expressed concern over the durability of U.S. security guarantees, particularly beyond Trump’s presidency. Trump acknowledged that deterrence efforts would depend on future leadership in Washington.
Meanwhile, NATO military leaders are scheduled to meet tomorrow to assess Ukraine’s current security environment and discuss potential roles in a post-conflict framework. Trump’s envoy to Russia, Steve Witkoff, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are leading coordination efforts with both Moscow and Kyiv.
Sources close to the administration say Budapest is being considered as a possible venue for the trilateral summit, though Putin has suggested Moscow and Macron has proposed Geneva.
Zelensky hailed the White House talks as a “significant step” toward ending the war, adding that Ukraine is already working on the “concrete content” of security guarantees. “We will do everything to make the path to peace a reality—through partnership, through courage, and through diplomacy,” he posted on social media.
The proposed summit, if realized, could mark the first direct engagement between the Russian and Ukrainian presidents since the war began, with Trump positioned as a central mediator in what could be a historic peace negotiation.