The White House is working to organize a three-way meeting between US President Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin, sources in the Trump administration told Ukrainian media Suspilne.
The negotiations could take place as early as next week, though the venue has not yet been determined, according to the sources.
White House spokesperson Caroline Leavitt confirmed that President Trump remains open to meetings with leaders from both countries.
"As President Trump said yesterday (on 7 August), the Russians have expressed a desire to meet with President Trump, and the president is open to this meeting. President Trump would like to meet with both President Putin and President Zelenskyy because he wants this brutal war to end. The White House is working out the details of these potential meetings, and details will be provided at the appropriate time," Leavitt said.
The diplomatic push follows a series of high-level contacts this week. On 6 August, Trump's special representative Steve Witkoff visited the Russian capital for a three-hour meeting with Putin. Moscow has not disclosed details of the discussion's content.
Trump later wrote on his Truth Social platform that Witkoff had a "productive meeting" with the Russian leader.
This was followed by a phone call between Zelenskyy and Trump that included European leaders. Following the conversation, the Ukrainian president said it "seems Russia is now more inclined toward a ceasefire, the pressure on them is working."
However, Zelenskyy emphasized the importance of ensuring Moscow does not deceive either Kyiv or Washington regarding the details of any potential agreement.
