Trump, Putin, Zelensky: A Secret Summit in the Making? Ceasefire Deadline, Backroom Talks And High-Stakes Power Plays

With a ceasefire window approaching, secret diplomacy involving Trump, Putin and Zelensky is reportedly underway. Behind closed doors, backchannel talks are intensifying to end the Ukraine war, with global stakes hanging in the balance.

Photo: Reuters

Washington: A top Kremlin adviser has confirmed that U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin have agreed to meet in the coming days. The announcement adds momentum to ongoing diplomatic efforts, which are aimed at halting the war in Ukraine.

Trump had earlier said that there was a strong possibility of an in-person meeting with both Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky “very soon” to explore ways to end the conflict. His self-imposed deadline for Russia to agree to a ceasefire or face broader sanctions is set to expire on Friday (August 8).

This upcoming engagement between Trump and Putin follows the recent visit of U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff to Moscow. He held talks with the Russian leader on Wednesday (August 6), marking his fifth trip to Russia. Previous visits had been met with optimism in Washington, though they yielded limited progress on peace negotiations.

During a White House briefing on Wednesday night, Trump responded to questions about the possibility of a three-way summit involving Zelensky and Putin. He said there was a “very good prospect” for such a meeting.

Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov highlighted that a trilateral summit had been mentioned in Moscow discussions earlier that day. Russian news agencies quoted him as saying the idea was received “without comment”.

Still, Ushakov confirmed that a location for the Trump-Putin meeting has been chosen, and logistical planning is already underway.

Zelensky expressed openness to holding a summit and acknowledged that discussions have included “two bilateral and one trilateral” formats. He stressed the importance of European involvement in any talks.

Writing on X (formerly Twitter), Zelensky said, “Ukraine is not afraid of meetings and expects the same brave approach from the Russian side.”

While no breakthrough has so far materialised, all parties appear to be working on details surrounding the potential summit.

In a recent interview with the BBC, President Trump admitted that despite early optimism following Witkoff’s visits, Putin had failed to deliver any concrete results.

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, the U.S. president struck a more measured tone. “I don’t call it a breakthrough... We have been working at this for a long time. There are thousands of young people dying... I am here to get the thing over with,” he said.

Following Witkoff’s latest meeting in Moscow, the Kremlin issued a short statement describing the talks as “constructive” and confirmed that both sides exchanged “signals”.

Zelensky said he had spoken with President Trump about Witkoff’s visit. European leaders also joined the call. The Ukrainian president has repeatedly stated that Russia would likely only move seriously toward peace if it begins to face economic constraints.

As Friday’s ceasefire deadline approaches, there is little public indication of a final settlement. Russia continues its large-scale aerial attacks on Ukrainian territory, even as the threat of increased U.S. sanctions looms.

In a move highlighting rising global tensions, President Trump on Wednesday signed an executive order placing a 25% tariff on Indian imports. The action came in response to New Delhi’s continued purchases of Russian oil.

Before taking office in January, Trump claimed he could end the war in Ukraine in just one day. However, the conflict has continued and his tone toward Moscow has grown increasingly firm.

Previous rounds of negotiations between Ukraine and Russia in Istanbul did not bring the conflict closer to resolution. The war has now entered its fourth year, following Russia’s full-scale invasion in early 2022.

Moscow has laid out several conditions for any peace deal. These include Ukraine adopting a neutral stance, scaling down its military and withdrawing its aspirations to join NATO.

In addition, Russia seeks the withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from four partially occupied regions in the southeast, alongside the demobilisation of troops.

Russia is also calling for international recognition of its control over Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia and Crimea. Further demands include Ukraine banning military alliance memberships, shrinking its army, recognising Russian as an official language and lifting sanctions imposed on Moscow.

The Kremlin has consistently declined Kyiv’s proposals for a direct meeting between Zelensky and Putin.

On Tuesday, the U.S. government approved an additional $200 million in military aid to Ukraine. The new package includes support for drone production as part of ongoing efforts to bolster Ukraine’s defense capabilities.