Putin-Trump Meeting Likely To Be Held In Coming Days

US President Donald Trump said Wednesday that there is a “good chance” he will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky soon to discuss a potential ceasefire agreement that could end Russia’s three-year war against Ukraine.

The remarks about a potential summit surfaced just days ahead of Trump's Friday deadline for Russia to agree to a ceasefire with Ukraine or risk facing what he called “very severe” sanctions aimed at crippling its oil industry. Earlier on Wednesday, Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, held a three-hour meeting with President Putin in Moscow. Trump later described the talks as “highly productive”, stating on Truth Social that “great progress was made”.

Over the past month, Trump has grown visibly frustrated with Putin, condemning the ongoing attacks on Ukrainian cities as “disgusting” and “a disgrace”. According to the United Nations, more than 6,700 Ukrainian civilians have been killed in the first half of this year.

In response, Trump issued a 10-day ultimatum last week, urging Putin to agree to a ceasefire or face sweeping economic consequences. The proposed measures include sanctions targeting countries that maintain trade ties with Russia, as well as additional penalties on Russia’s “shadow fleet”, a covert network of oil tankers used to bypass the global price cap on seaborne crude. The deadline for compliance expires this Friday.