Trump says meeting with Putin and Zelensky could happen ‘very soon’

U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday that talks involving the leaders of Russia and Ukraine could take place in the near future.

“That road was long and continues to be long, but there’s a good chance that there will be a meeting very soon,” Trump told reporters when asked about possible negotiations with Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky. He did not specify a timeline for the talks.

Asked whether a ceasefire deal between Putin and Zelensky was close, Trump declined to make any predictions, saying he had “been disappointed before” on the issue.

He described the talks earlier that day between U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and Putin in Moscow as positive. “I [wouldn’t] call it a breakthrough. We’ve been working on this a long time,” Trump said.

When a reporter asked whether Putin might be deceiving him about the feasibility of a peace deal, Trump replied, “I’ll tell you in a matter of weeks, maybe less.”

Earlier on Wednesday, several Western media outlets reported that Trump could meet with Putin as early as next week. According to CNN, Trump has urged his team to move quickly to prepare for the potential meeting. The New York Times reported that Trump is aiming to hold a three-way summit with the leaders of Russia and Ukraine.

Trump also spoke by phone with Zelensky and several other European leaders on Wednesday, after which the Ukrainian president said he believed Russia was now “more inclined” to agree to a ceasefire.