Kremlin says Trump-Putin meeting agreed for ‘coming days’

MOSCOW - The Kremlin said on Aug 7 that a summit between US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Ukraine was set for the “coming days” as US-led efforts to broker peace rumble on.

The Russian President named the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as a potential location for the summit with Mr Trump, but essentially ruled out a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

The Trump-Putin summit would be the first between sitting US and Russian presidents since Mr Joe Biden met Mr Putin in Geneva in June 2021, and comes as Mr Trump seeks an end to Russia’s military assault on Ukraine.

Three rounds of direct talks between Moscow and Kyiv have failed to yield any progress towards a ceasefire, with the two sides appearing far apart in their demands to end the more than three-year-long conflict.

Mr Trump said on Aug 6 he was

likely to meet Mr Putin face to face “very soon”.

They last sat together in 2019 at a Group of 20 summit in Japan during Mr Trump’s first term as US president, but have spoken by telephone several times since he returned to the White House earlier in 2025.

“Both sides showed interest” in the Russia-US leaders’ meeting, Mr Putin told reporters on Aug 7.

“We have many friends who are willing to help us organise such events. One of our friends is the president of the United Arab Emirates,” he said, standing next to UAE leader Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

Earlier on Aug 7, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said the plan for a bilateral summit was “at the suggestion of the American side”.

“Next week has been set as a target date,” said Mr Ushakov, adding that both sides have already agreed on the venue “in principle”, without mentioning it.

Putin-Zelensky meeting?

Tens of thousands have been killed since

Russia launched its military offensive

on Ukraine in February 2022.

Russian bombardments have forced millions to flee their homes and destroyed swathes of eastern and southern Ukraine.

Mr Putin has resisted multiple calls from the US, Europe and Ukraine for a ceasefire.

At talks in Istanbul, Russian negotiators have outlined hardline territorial demands if Ukraine wants Russia to halt its advance – calling for Kyiv to withdraw from territory it still controls and renounce Western military support.

Reports of the upcoming summit came after US envoy Steve Witkoff met Mr Putin in Moscow.

Mr Witkoff proposed a trilateral meeting with Mr Zelensky, but Mr Putin appeared to rule out direct talks with the Ukrainian leader.

“I have nothing against it in general, it is possible, but certain conditions must be created for this,” he told reporters, adding: “Unfortunately, we are still far from creating such conditions.”

Mr Putin said in June that he was ready to meet Mr Zelensky, but only during a “final phase” of negotiations on ending the conflict.

Mr Zelensky earlier on Aug 7 had refreshed his call for a meeting with Mr Putin – which he says is the only way to make progress towards peace.

“It is necessary to determine the timing for such a format and the range of issues to be addressed,” Mr Zelensky wrote on social media.

He later spoke with his European allies, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, as he called for the continent to be included in any potential peace talks.

“The war is happening in Europe, and Ukraine is an integral part of Europe – we are already in negotiations on EU accession. Therefore, Europe must be a participant in the relevant processes,” Mr Zelensky said on social media after the call with Mr Merz.

He also said he would hold several other conversations throughout the course of the day, including with Italian officials.

“Today, security advisors will hold an online meeting to align our joint views – Ukraine and the whole of Europe, the United States,” Mr Zelensky said.

“Ukraine is not afraid of meetings and expects the same brave approach from the Russian side. It is time we ended the war,” he added. AFP