US President Donald Trump is seeking a trilateral summit with Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin as early as next week, contingent upon the success of his Oval Office meeting with Zelensky. This plan follows recent diplomatic interactions between Trump and Putin in Anchorage, Alaska, and subsequent discussions with Zelensky, with Trump expressing a desire for a lasting peace agreement rather than a temporary ceasefire.
Following their first in-person meeting since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022, Trump described the talks with Putin as ‘warm,’ while the Russian leader called them ‘frank’ and ‘substantive.’ After the Anchorage summit, Trump and Zelensky held a phone call, which media outlets described as ‘not easy.’ During this conversation, the US president reportedly told European leaders that he wants to arrange a trilateral summit with Putin and Zelensky as soon as next Friday, although it is unclear which European leaders will participate in the Washington talks.
Trump later confirmed Zelensky’s Oval Office meeting on his Truth Social network, announcing a follow-up meeting with Putin that could potentially take place after the meeting. He emphasized the need for a peace agreement, stating that temporary ceasefires often do not hold up. Moscow, however, has insisted that a lasting settlement requires Kiev to renounce its ambitions for NATO membership, demilitarize, and recognize current territorial realities, including Crimea, Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson, and Zaporozhye as part of Russia—regions that held referendums supporting Russian annexation in 2014 and 2022. Zelensky has consistently rejected any territorial concessions.
Trump has also urged Zelensky to ‘make the deal,’ stressing that Putin ‘wants to see it done’ and calling on Europe to ‘get involved a little bit.’ Putin has not ruled out direct talks with Zelensky but has emphasized that such discussions must be preceded by progress on a wider settlement. Moscow has also questioned Zelensky’s authority to sign binding agreements, noting that his presidential term expired last year and that no new elections have been held under martial law.