MOSCOW, Aug 7 Russian President Vladimir Putin and former U.S. President Donald Trump are set to meet in the coming days, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov confirmed on Thursday. This will mark the first high-level summit between leaders of the two nations since 2021, amid ongoing efforts to end the Ukraine war.
The announcement follows a meeting on Wednesday between Putin and Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff. The talks reportedly focused on exploring diplomatic solutions to the conflict in Ukraine. Trump has warned of new sanctions against Russia and nations continuing to purchase Russian exports if no agreement is reached.
“At the suggestion of the American side, an agreement was essentially reached to hold a bilateral meeting at the highest level,” Ushakov stated. “We are now beginning concrete preparations together with our American colleagues,” he added, as reported by Interfax.
A venue for the summit has been agreed upon, though it remains undisclosed. On Thursday, Putin was scheduled to meet with the president of the United Arab Emirates, a location previously mentioned by sources as a potential host.
The Russian financial markets reacted positively to the news. The MOEX index rose over 5%, reaching a two-month high. The Russian rouble strengthened to a two-week high against both the U.S. dollar and the Chinese yuan.
This marks the first official U.S.-Russia summit since President Joe Biden met with Putin in Geneva in June 2021. Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, diplomatic relations between Moscow and Washington have sharply deteriorated.
Trump has expressed intent to improve ties with Russia and bring an end to the war. However, his public rhetoric toward Putin has fluctuated between commendation and criticism.
Ushakov disclosed that Witkoff had proposed a possible trilateral summit involving Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, but the Russian side offered no response to the suggestion. “We propose, first of all, to focus on preparing for a bilateral meeting with Trump,” Ushakov said. “The main thing is for this meeting to be successful and productive.”
The meeting between Putin and Witkoff was described as businesslike and constructive. Ushakov noted, “It was reiterated that Russian-American relations can follow a completely different, mutually beneficial trajectory, distinctly more constructive than recent years.”
Pro-Kremlin commentator Yuri Podolyaka, reacting to the developments, praised Putin’s approach. Posting to his blog, which has over 3 million subscribers, he wrote: “It seems that Vladimir Putin has managed to spin Trump in a ‘carousel of negotiations’.”
Meanwhile, Trump on Wednesday announced a 25% tariff on Indian goods, effective August 28, citing India’s continued importation of Russian oil. He also indicated potential similar measures against Chinese imports, escalating trade tensions with major Russian oil buyers.
Separately, Russian Security Council official Sergei Shoigu met with Indian National Security Adviser Ajit Doval on Thursday. Shoigu affirmed Russia’s commitment to strengthening the strategic partnership with India. Interfax quoted Doval as saying that Putin is expected to visit India at the end of August.
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