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'Meeting is clearly on the radar' — Kremlin on potential Trump-Putin meeting

by Kateryna Hodunova May 5, 2025 9:13 PM 2 min read
US President Donald Trump (L) and Russia's President Vladimir Putin shake hands at the Presidential Palace in Helsinki, on July 16, 2018 (Yuri Kadobnov / AFP) 
This audio is created with AI assistance

The meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump is necessary in many ways, but has not been scheduled yet, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on May 5.

Peskov's statement comes as the Trump administration has been attempting to bring Kyiv and Moscow to the negotiating table. Yet, progress has been limited.

Trump's team has pressured Kyiv to make concessions to Russia without applying visible pressure on Moscow to halt its aggression.

"Such a meeting is clearly on the radar, and in many ways, we believe that it is certainly necessary. It must be prepared appropriately, and this requires efforts at a variety of expert levels," Peskov said.

"It requires the continuation of contacts between Moscow and Washington, which have been launched and are now ongoing," the spokesperson added.

Peskov added that Putin's schedule for mid-May does not currently include a trip to the Middle East, where he could potentially meet with Trump.

Trump has reportedly grown frustrated with the slow progression of peace negotiations, claiming on April 26 that Putin may be "tapping me along," and that he may not be interested in ending the war.

Trump has also reportedly been wavering over his commitment to continue to serve as a mediator between Ukraine and Russia. A possible exit from the peace efforts raises concerns that the U.S. might also cease all backing for Ukraine, including intelligence support.

Despite recent disagreements, Ukraine and the U.S. signed a minerals agreement that establishes a joint investment fund in Ukraine on April 30.

The deal was negotiated over several months and led to a low point in bilateral relations following the infamous White House argument between President Volodymyr Zelensky and Trump on Feb. 28.

A minerals deal won’t stop Russia’s war
News of Victoria Roshchyna’s brutal death at the hands of Russian captors shocked Ukraine and the world last week. Her body was returned mutilated — eyes gouged out, brain removed — bearing evidence of unspeakable brutality. It wasn’t an accident of war. It was a signature of it. This is

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Russia advancing and ex-official assassination | Ukraine This Week.

In the latest episode of Ukraine This Week, the Kyiv Independent’s Anna Belokur shares key takeaways from Monday’s phone call between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, as well as Wednesday’s assassination of a controversial Ukrainian ex-official. Also, Russia is advancing in Sumy Oblast.
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