By Anjali Sharma
WASHINGTON – Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov on Thursday announced that Trump and Putin set to meet soon to discuss ending the Ukraine war, as pressure mounts on Moscow. Zelensky urges caution, warning against Russian deception in ceasefire talks.
Yury Ushakov announced that a meeting between U S President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin has been agreed upon and is expected to take place in the coming days, possibly as early as next week. While the final preparations are still underway, the location—though undisclosed—has already been settled, according to Russian state media RIA Novosti.
The announcement follows Trump’s remarks a day earlier, where he expressed optimism about a near-term meeting with Putin to explore options for ending the war in Ukraine. However, despite ongoing diplomatic efforts, Trump warned that a breakthrough has yet to be achieved and remained cautious about setting any firm expectations for a peace deal.
Ushakov declined to comment on a recent proposal by U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff for three-way talks involving Trump, Putin, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Witkoff, who was in Moscow this week for his fifth visit this year, met with Putin to advance negotiations toward a ceasefire.
The talks came just ahead of a Friday deadline set by Trump for Moscow to accept a ceasefire or face intensified sanctions—including 100% tariffs on countries continuing to import Russian oil. Shortly after Witkoff’s meeting, Trump followed through on his warnings by slapping an additional 25% tariff on India over its ongoing energy trade with Russia.
Ukrainian President Zelensky commented that Moscow now appears more open to a ceasefire.
“The pressure is working,” Zelensky said in his nightly address, “but we must not allow deception—neither of us, nor the United States.”
