President Donald Trump said a face-to-face meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin would be “great,” welcoming the prospect of direct talks after Mr Zelensky publicly urged the Kremlin leader to sit down with him — while stressing that any deal would require compromise.
“I’m glad that they’re maybe talking about meeting. I think we had a lot to do with it,” Mr Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.
“I think it would be great if they met. They should – get it done,” he added.
Mr Trump, who has faced criticism for berating Mr Zelensky in the Oval Office last year on the one hand while inviting Mr Putin to a summit in Alaska, promised to end the Ukraine war within a day of taking office.
He has pushed both sides to end the conflict, but his attention has largely been absorbed by the Iran war that the United States and Israel launched more than three months ago.
Municipal workers and residents clear the rubble from the streets following a Russian air strike in Kramatorsk, Ukraine
“They’re going to both make compromises, I suggested those compromises, and you know, we’ve had a lot to do with it,” President Trump said of Ukraine and Russia, without specifying.
Mr Zelensky proposed a meeting with Mr Putin in a rare open letter to the Russian leader yesterday, shortly after the Kremlin chief had conceded Russia needed to strengthen its air defences following a spate of Ukrainian attacks.
The Kremlin said Mr Putin had not yet been shown the letter, but that Mr Zelensky could meet Mr Putin in Moscow “any time” – a proposal that the Ukrainian leader pre-emptively ruled out in his letter.
“Ukraine proposes ending this war through direct engagement between us – and you. I am proposing a meeting,” Mr Zelensky said in the letter.
“I propose to set a clear date for such a meeting. Ukraine is ready for a full ceasefire for the duration of the negotiations,” he added.
Mr Zelensky published the letter a day after Ukrainian drones hit Saint Petersburg, as Mr Putin’s home city hosted a major international economic forum this week.
The Ukrainian leader has repeatedly called for a meeting with the Russian leader, saying only face-to-face talks will yield an agreement on territory.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky proposed face-to-face talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in an open letter
Russia, which invaded in 2022, has demanded Ukraine pull out of its eastern Donbas region – large parts of which Ukraine’s army still controls – as a precondition to peace talks.
Speaking to foreign journalists in Saint Petersburg just before Mr Zelensky’s appeal was published, Mr Putin had repeated his frequent questioning of the Ukrainian leader’s legitimacy.
He said the question of whether Mr Zelensky was Ukraine’s legitimate leader needed “analysis”, after his initial five-year term expired in 2024.
Martial law prohibits elections during wartime in Ukraine, and Mr Zelensky has offered to stage a vote or referendum on a final peace deal if a full ceasefire is in place.
Mr Putin has said he would only meet Mr Zelensky to finalise an already agreed deal, rejecting calls to meet before then.
‘Strengthen’ air defences
Ukraine has intensified its long-range retaliatory strikes on Russian energy and military targets in recent months – attacks it calls a fair response to nightly barrages by Russia’s army.
“If you do not personally come to the conclusion that it is time to end this war, Ukraine will continue fighting for its existence,” Mr Zelensky said in the letter.
Yesterday, Mr Putin hailed his forces’ achievements on the battlefield in the face of growing confidence in Ukraine.
Read more: Putin says Russia must strengthen air defences after Ukraine strikes
When asked about whether Russia’s offensive against Ukraine had become a “strategic disaster”, Mr Putin said that Russia was “advancing along the entire line of contact”.
“We are absolutely ready and willing to reach an agreement with Ukraine through peaceful means,” he added.
The pace of Russia’s advance has slowed since late 2025, and recent data shows Ukraine has regained ground against Russia.
Ukraine recaptured more territory than it lost to Russian forces in May for the second straight month, according to an AFP analysis of data from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
Mr Putin also accepted that Russia needs to improve its air defence systems.
“Russia has an air defence system. Yes, we must improve it. Yes, we must strengthen it. And we will do so,” he said.
US House backs Russia sanctions, Ukraine aid
Meanwhile, the US House of Representatives passed legislation yesterday to provide aid to Ukraine and impose new sanctions on Russia.
The House voted 226 to 195 for the Ukraine Support Act, which reached the floor after languishing for months.
A handful of Republicans joined Democrats in signing a discharge petition to force the vote.
Yesterday, 18 Republicans and one independent who normally votes with them joined Democrats to pass the bill.
Olha Stefanishyna, Ukraine’s ambassador to the United States, in a post on X called the decision “an important step forward and (which) reflects continued bipartisan support for Ukraine”.
