The White House has declared the start of a “next phase of the peace process” for Ukraine, centered on a direct meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. U.S. officials announced Tuesday that planning for this bilateral summit is actively underway, with the goal of bringing an end to the war.
This new diplomatic chapter was initiated by President Donald Trump, who reportedly secured Putin’s agreement for the meeting in a phone call. The call took place after Trump’s discussions with Zelenskyy and European allies in Washington. The administration is now working with Moscow and Kyiv to finalize the details, with Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt asserting that Putin has agreed to meet within the next fortnight.
Despite the American optimism, Russia has adopted a more measured public posture. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, while not rejecting the idea of a summit, emphasized that such a high-level engagement “must be prepared with utmost thoroughness,” suggesting a longer preparatory period might be needed from Moscow’s perspective.
As the summit plans take shape, the core issues of the conflict are being separated into different negotiating tracks. President Zelenskyy is set to discuss territorial matters directly with Putin, while Ukraine works with its partners on a separate framework for long-term security guarantees. The U.S. has committed to helping with security, floating the idea of air support while firmly ruling out the deployment of ground troops.
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