A summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin is tentatively scheduled to occur late next week, NBC News reported on Aug. 8, citing a senior White House official.
The details or exact timing of the meeting remain unclear, according to NBC News. It was not immediately clear as to whether it would involve President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Preparations for the meeting are underway, the Kremlin said on on Aug. 7, claiming that the venue has already been agreed upon. The White House official disputed that claim in a comment to NBC News, claiming that the location is still to be determined, with possible venues including locations in the United Arab Emirates, Hungary, Switzerland, and Rome.
Sky News reported, citing sources in the Italian government, that Trump held a call with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, speaking about the possibilities of holding the meeting in Rome. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov previously dismissed the prospects of future peace talks in the Vatican.
Earlier reports indicated that Trump would agree to meet with Putin only if Putin also met with President Volodymyr Zelensky. Later, however, Trump told reporters at the White House that such a meeting between Zelensky and Putin was not a prerequisite for his own meeting with Putin.
Zelensky on Aug. 7 signalled willingness for Ukraine's involvement in the meeting.
The comments follow a meeting between Putin and U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff on Aug. 6, just two days before Trump's deadline for Russia to agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine.
The New York Times reported that Trump is preparing not only for a one-on-one with Putin, but also for a potential trilateral meeting with Zelensky shortly afterward.
Bloomberg reported on Aug. 8 , citing undisclosed sources, that the U.S. and Russia are seeking to reach a territorial agreement to cement Moscow's occupation of Ukrainian territories and end the war.
The proposed deal is aimed at freezing the conflict and laying the groundwork for a ceasefire and technical negotiations toward a final peace settlement, the news agency reported.
Putin is demanding that Ukraine cede all of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, as well as Crimea, Bloomberg wrote.
Washington is reportedly trying to secure support from Ukraine and its European allies for the potential deal, which remains far from certain.
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