The key facts

  • Trump named the participants of the possible meeting — Putin and Zelensky — without details on timing or venue
  • A direct meeting between the presidents of Russia and Ukraine would be the first since the start of the war in 2022
  • On Iran, Trump evaded the question of new strikes after the November 3 elections

Statement after campaign rallies

US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday morning that a meeting involving Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky would be arranged 'very soon.' According to the Anadolu agency, he spoke to reporters after returning from Texas, where campaign rallies had been held. 'I think we're making a lot of progress on Russia — on Russia-Ukraine. The meeting will be arranged very soon,' the agency quotes him as saying.

Format of the meeting not disclosed

When asked who would take part in the meeting, Trump replied: 'President Putin and President Zelensky,' without naming a date, a venue, or a format. He added that he had discussed both conflicts — the Russia-Ukraine war and the Iranian one — with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff aboard Air Force One.

Context of the talks

According to Anadolu, the most recent US-mediated talks between Moscow and Kyiv took place in January and February of this year — three rounds in Abu Dhabi and Geneva. A meeting between the presidents of the two countries would be unprecedented since the start of the war in 2022. Trump's statement, however, does not imply that such a meeting has already been agreed upon: he gave no date, no venue, and no agenda.

Iran and the midterm elections

Touching on Iran, Trump said that Tehran wants to reach a deal with the United States but is putting off talks, possibly until the midterm elections on November 3. 'I think we're in a very good position with Iran. The question is, when do I want to finish it?' he said. Asked whether he planned new strikes on Iran after the elections, Trump answered evasively: 'Anything is possible, but I can't tell you.' According to the agency, the war between Washington and Tehran began with the US-Israeli strikes on Iran in late February and escalated into a regional conflict which, despite the ceasefire and the agreement to conclude a peace deal, remains unresolved.