Tuesday, August 19, 2025 | by DAILY MENTOR NEWS
In a significant diplomatic move, U.S. President Donald Trump announced plans to organize a direct summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a renewed effort to bring an end to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
The announcement came following Trump’s hosting of Zelenskyy at the White House on Monday, where they were joined by key European leaders including French President Emmanuel Macron, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and others engaged in intensive talks about Ukraine’s future.
Trump revealed that he had initiated preparations for the summit after a phone call with Putin and expressed optimism about the prospects of a trilateral meeting featuring Putin, Zelenskyy, and himself. Zelenskyy described his interaction with Trump as “a very good conversation” and conveyed his openness to meeting with Putin directly in any format.
Russia, through presidential aide Yuri Ushakov, confirmed that both Putin and Trump supported the continuation of direct discussions between Russia and Ukraine’s delegations. However, the exact timing and location of the summit remain to be confirmed.
Security guarantees for Ukraine were a major focus of the discussions, with European leaders pressing for commitments akin to NATO’s collective defense principle (Article 5). While Trump ruled out deploying U.S. troops, he indicated that European nations would serve as the “first line of defense” with U.S. coordination and support.
The meetings mark a diplomatic thaw in relations amid more than four years of conflict following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Despite ongoing hostilities, these high-level talks signal a potential breakthrough toward peace.
Trump expressed hope for a “lasting peace” and recognized the complexity of the situation, acknowledging that negotiations may proceed even as fighting continues. Zelenskyy has insisted that any peace arrangement must include reliable security guarantees and respect Ukraine’s sovereignty.
This proposed summit would be the first meeting between Putin and Zelenskyy since the outbreak of the war, holding considerable significance for the future of Eastern Europe and international efforts to stabilize the region.