Washington, D.C. – The White House has denied reports from the Kremlin that a meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin has been finalized, including the choice of a location.
On Thursday, a White House official told reporters that no venue has been set for the potential summit, and stressed that any meeting with President Trump would only happen if President Putin agrees to first meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy something Moscow has yet to commit to.
Earlier, Kremlin adviser Yuri Ushakov claimed that preparations for a Trump-Putin summit were already underway and that the meeting would take place “in the coming days.” He also said a location had been agreed upon, but would be announced later. Ushakov suggested the United Arab Emirates as a possible host.
Ushakov also stated that the idea of a trilateral meeting involving Trump, Putin, and Zelenskyy was proposed by White House envoy Steve Witkoff during his visit to Moscow on Wednesday. However, Russia indicated that the upcoming talks would be strictly bilateral between Trump and Putin.
Witkoff’s visit comes just before President Trump’s Friday deadline for Russia to reach a ceasefire agreement in Ukraine or face increased sanctions from the U.S.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Thursday that both Ukraine and Europe must be included in peace negotiations. In a message posted on X, formerly Twitter, Zelenskyy emphasized that “the war is happening in Europe” and that Ukraine is already negotiating for EU membership, making Europe a necessary participant in any peace process.
Zelenskyy added that Ukrainian, European, and U.S. security officials were meeting Thursday to coordinate positions. He confirmed that several meeting formats were being considered, including two bilateral and one trilateral summit. “Ukraine is not afraid of meetings,” he said, “and expects the same brave approach from the Russian side.”
Despite reports that a Trump-Putin meeting could happen as early as next week, President Trump was noncommittal when asked about it, saying he’s been “disappointed before.” However, he did express optimism about the possibility of a summit between Putin and Zelenskyy.
