President-elect Donald Trump announced that a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin is being arranged, setting the stage for potential peace talks to address the ongoing war in Ukraine.
Speaking at his Mar-a-Lago estate during a meeting with Republican governors, Trump confirmed, “He [Putin] wants to meet, and we’re setting it up.” The meeting is expected to take place after Trump’s inauguration on January 20.
Trump has long advocated for a diplomatic resolution to the nearly three-year-long conflict and has repeatedly expressed confidence in his ability to end the war quickly.
On the campaign trail, he boldly stated that he could broker peace within 24 hours of taking office, describing the conflict as a “bloody mess” and lamenting the staggering number of casualties on both sides.
Putin has also shown an openness to dialogue. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov acknowledged that while no specifics about a meeting have been finalized, Russia welcomes Trump’s readiness to engage in discussions.
“Apparently, after Mr. Trump enters the Oval Office, there will be some movement,” Peskov said, reiterating that Moscow has no preconditions for initiating contact.
Despite Trump’s confidence, achieving peace will be a complex task. Putin has laid out demands for a ceasefire, including Ukraine withdrawing forces from the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia regions and formally abandoning its NATO ambitions. Kyiv, however, has firmly rejected these conditions.
Trump, undeterred, has signaled his intent to address these challenges head-on, emphasizing the urgency of ending the conflict. “That’s a war that would have never happened if I were president,” Trump remarked, adding that he intends to stop it “as quickly as I can.”
The meeting, if it occurs, will not be the first between Trump and Putin. During Trump’s first term, the two leaders held a controversial summit in Helsinki in 2018.
Although Trump praised Putin’s willingness to assist with U.S. investigations into election meddling, his administration also imposed sanctions on Russia and expelled diplomats in response to geopolitical tensions.
While Trump’s remarks suggest optimism, skepticism remains about the feasibility of his proposed peace talks.
Last month, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov dismissed Trump’s call for an immediate ceasefire but indicated that Moscow remains open to negotiations.