Trump predicts imminent meeting between Putin and Zelensky on peace negotiations

U.S. President Donald Trump said Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky would meet “very soon” as efforts continue to end the war between Russia and Ukraine.

“A meeting will take place very soon, and I believe we’ll be able to make great progress,” Trump told reporters. The conflict between the two countries has continued for nearly five years.

Zelensky said on Sunday that a meeting between the parties, mediated by the United States, was expected to take place in November to restart peace talks, which have been on hold since the beginning of the year.

“We are ready to talk. If it’s a territorial issue, it needs to be discussed at the leaders’ level. The other issues concern technical groups. So all of this can be discussed in November,” the Ukrainian president said in an interview with state television.

Two days earlier, Russia had announced that the meeting was planned for November in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The announcement came amid the latest U.S. efforts to revive peace negotiations, which have been suspended since the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran began in late February.

During 2025, Russian and Ukrainian representatives held direct talks but failed to reach a solution to the conflict. Both sides continue to insist on their own terms.

The Kremlin has so far ruled out the possibility of Putin and Zelensky meeting anywhere other than Moscow.

Moscow opposes halting military operations before a substantive agreement is reached, arguing that a ceasefire would give Kyiv the opportunity to rearm.