Trump Foresees Imminent Putin-Zelensky Meeting and Affirms Russia’s Desire to End Conflict

Former U.S. President Donald Trump expressed his belief that a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will take place "very soon," noting that Kyiv prefers not to hold the meeting in Moscow.

During his encounter with Zelensky on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara, Trump said, "One of the questions I asked him (Putin) was 'Where would you like to meet?' He answered: ideally, in Moscow. I told him that (Zelensky) would not agree to meet in Moscow; that would not work. He (Putin) and Zelensky will meet, and something positive will happen."

The former U.S. president emphasized his conviction that Putin aims to end the conflict in Ukraine as quickly as possible, stating, "He will tell you that he wants to end this as soon as possible. He wants to end it. He wants it to finish quickly. I asked him about this, and we discussed these topics. I spoke with him a lot."

Earlier in July, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov indicated that a meeting between Putin and Zelensky could occur in Moscow at any moment once Zelensky is "ready to make important and responsible decisions."

Trump’s remarks come amid intensified mediation efforts, with Washington working on a new peace plan that includes concessions from both sides. Trump announced during his meeting with Zelensky that he is scheduled to hold a phone conversation with Putin on July 8.