Trump Says Zelensky and Putin Will Meet "Soon"
US President Donald Trump said a meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian leader Vladimir Putin should take place soon. He added that significant progress would be made on the war.
US President Donald Trump said on 28 October that a meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian leader Vladimir Putin is due to take place soon. Trump also said "significant progress" would be achieved regarding the war in Ukraine. According to the available information, he did not name a date or venue for the meeting.
The remarks were published by the White House's official "Rapid Response" account on the social platform X. Trump first said a meeting would happen shortly and that significant progress would result. When asked who exactly the meeting would involve, he replied that it would be with President Putin and President Zelensky, and repeated his expectation of substantial progress.
What happened earlier
The report comes from Ukrainian outlet Ukrainska Pravda and its European affairs section, Європейська правда (European Pravda). It recalls that on 27 October, Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre phoned Putin on their own initiative. Stubb described the discussion as "frank and businesslike".
Zelensky later said Stubb and Støre had told Putin "clearly" that real de-escalation steps are needed concerning Ukraine's energy sector and infrastructure. Media outlets reported that during the call the Kremlin leader spent almost all of the time talking about the "historical root causes of the conflict" with Ukraine.
The source does not make clear whether the meeting Trump mentioned is already being concretely planned or whether both sides have agreed to it.
