Putin, Trump to meet in coming days, Moscow says as US sanctions deadline draws near

Editor's Note: The story was updated with comments by President Volodymyr Zelensky and head of Russia's sovereign wealth fund Kirill Dmitriev.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump are expected to meet in the coming days, Russian foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov said on Aug. 7.

Preparations for the meeting are underway, while the venue has already been agreed upon, Ushakov added, according to the Russian state news agency TASS. This would mark the first meeting between the presidents since Trump took office on Jan. 20.

U.S. State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce wrote on Aug. 7 that the United States' economic power is among the many options available to drive results in the negotiation process.

"At the suggestion of the American side, an agreement was reached in principle to hold a bilateral summit meeting in the coming days," Ushakov said. "The target date was set for next week, but the parties are already starting to prepare for this important meeting, and it is difficult to say how many days the preparation will take."

Talking to journalists, Putin later claimed that both the U.S. and Russia showed interest in the meeting and named the United Arab Emirates as a possible venue.

"We have many friends who are ready to help us organize an event of this kind. One of those friends is the president (Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan) of the United Arab Emirates," Putin said alongside the Emirati leader, who is on an official visit to Moscow.

Kirill Dmitriev, head of Russia's sovereign wealth fund, said on Aug. 7 that a potential Trump-Putin meeting could strengthen economic cooperation between Washington and Moscow and encourage the development of joint investment projects.

Earlier reports indicated that Trump would agree to meet with Putin only if Putin also met with President Volodymyr Zelensky. Later, however, Trump told reporters at the White House that such a meeting between Zelensky and Putin was not a prerequisite for his own meeting with Putin.

The comments follow a meeting between Putin and U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff on Aug. 6, just two days before Trump's deadline for Russia to agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine.

The New York Times reported that Trump is preparing not only for a one-on-one with Putin, but also for a potential trilateral meeting with Zelensky shortly afterward.

Ushakov claimed that Witkoff "raised the idea of a trilateral meeting between Putin, Trump, and Zelensky," though Moscow has yet to formally comment on the proposal.

President Trump has all the cards to stop Russia’s war against Ukraine. Now, he needs to use them

President Trump announced on July 14 that he was finally ready to provide additional weapons to Ukraine and impose new tariffs on Russia within 50 days – by Sept. 2 – if Russian President Vladimir Putin did not cease his illegal war of aggression and terror in Ukraine. This gave Russia a blank check for 50 more days of senseless death and destruction. No restrictions were imposed on Moscow as a result. On July 28, however, Trump changed his mind and shortened his unilateral deadline. A day lat

The Kyiv IndependentGregory P. Wilson

Asked about the possibility of meeting Zelensky, Putin said: "I’ve said many times already, I don’t have anything against it in general — it's possible. But certain conditions must be created for that. And unfortunately, we’re still far from creating those conditions."

Zelensky stressed on Aug. 7 that a meeting at the level of leaders is a crucial step toward "truly lasting peace."

"We in Ukraine have repeatedly said that finding real solutions can be truly effective at the level of leaders," Zelensky said on X.

"It is necessary to determine the timing for such a format and the range of issues to be addressed."

Later in his evening address, Zelensky announced that on Aug. 7, security advisors from Ukraine, several European countries, and U.S. special envoy Witkoff will hold talks.

Axios reported, citing two undisclosed sources, that Witkoff will brief Ukraine and NATO allies on the results of his meeting with Putin. Senior officials from the U.K., France, Germany, Italy, and Finland are expected to join the virtual meeting.

Trump initially gave Moscow 50 days to make a peace deal with Ukraine when he announced the ultimatum on July 14, but has since expressed growing frustration with Russia's refusal to end its war.

Ukraine and Russia last met for direct talks in Istanbul on July 23. The meeting, which lasted less than an hour, ended without progress toward ending the hostilities as Russian representatives again rejected an unconditional ceasefire.

Zelensky has repeatedly expressed openness to direct negotiations, including in a three-party format involving Trump. Putin has so far refused to meet Zelensky in person, sending lower-level officials instead.

To pressure Moscow, Trump has escalated the use of economic measures. On Aug. 6, he signed an executive order imposing a 25% tariff on imports from India, citing its continued purchase of Russian oil.

The strategy targets Russia's oil sector, which funds roughly one-third of its federal budget and remains the primary source of financing for its war against Ukraine.

The talks would mark a significant diplomatic moment for Trump, who has touted his ability to end wars and negotiate peace deals.