The White House firmly pushed back on Thursday against the Kremlin’s assertions that a meeting between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin was confirmed with an agreed location.
According to a White House official speaking to ABC News, no venue has been determined, emphasizing that Putin must first meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for the Trump meeting to happen—something the Kremlin has yet to guarantee.
Earlier, Putin’s aide Yuri Ushakov mentioned that a “meeting between Putin and Trump (is imminent),” going on to say that “preparations for the summit are currently underway,” as per the Kremlin’s announcement.
Ushakov also noted that special envoy Steve Witkoff had proposed a trilateral discussion involving Putin, Trump, and Zelenskyy, but confirmed that the upcoming encounter is only set to include Trump and Putin, as stated by the Kremlin.
On Wednesday, Witkoff visited Moscow just before Trump’s deadline for Russia to establish peace with Ukraine, failing which, severe sanctions would be enacted.
While specific details regarding the meeting venue remained undisclosed, Ushakov hinted that Russia has “many friends ready to assist in organizing such events.” He even mentioned the President of the United Arab Emirates as a potential host, stating, “It could be one of the most appropriate locations.”
On the same day, Zelenskyy emphasized that both Ukraine and Europe ought to be key players in discussions aimed at resolving the Russia-Ukraine conflict, which erupted back in February 2022 during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Zelenskyy shared on X, “The conflict is unfolding in Europe, and Ukraine is a vital part of Europe—we are already negotiating our EU membership. Therefore, Europe must be involved in these critical conversations.”
This aligns with statements made earlier by a White House official, indicating that a meeting between Trump and Putin might occur as soon as next week.
Zelenskyy also mentioned that security representatives from Ukraine, Europe, and the U.S. were scheduled to meet on Thursday to coordinate their perspectives.
“Various potential formats for leadership-level discussions aiming for peace, including two bilateral and one trilateral meetings, were reviewed yesterday,” he noted, adding, “Ukraine is unafraid of meetings and looks forward to a courageous response from the Russian side.”
In closing, while Trump himself seemed less certain regarding a meeting with Putin, he did express optimism about the possibility of a summit occurring between Putin and Zelenskyy, admitting he has faced disappointments in the past.
Contributions to this report were provided by ABC News’ Alexandra Hutzler, David Brennan, and Shannon Kingston.
