Washington, D.C.— The White House has announced that Russian President Vladimir Putin has agreed to a bilateral meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, marking a potential breakthrough in efforts to end the ongoing war.
The announcement was made by White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, during Tuesday’s briefing. She explained that the meeting would serve as the next stage in the peace process, with the possibility of a trilateral dialogue involving U.S. President Donald Trump if required.
“President Trump spoke with President Putin by phone, and he agreed to begin the next phase of the peace process — a meeting between President Putin and President Zelenskyy, which could be followed, if necessary, by a trilateral meeting with President Trump,” Leavitt confirmed.
According to her, Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff will coordinate with both Russia and Ukraine to ensure the bilateral meeting is held promptly. Leavitt assured reporters that the Trump administration is working closely with both parties to make the dialogue a reality.
The development follows Trump’s high-profile summit with Putin in Alaska and a subsequent debriefing at the White House, attended by Zelenskyy and several European leaders. European heads of state commended Trump’s efforts in advancing peace negotiations.
Finnish President Alexander Stubb praised the progress, remarking, “In the past two weeks, we’ve probably had more progress in ending this war than in the past three-and-a-half years.” Similarly, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer highlighted that no previous effort had succeeded in bringing the conflict to this point.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte also applauded Trump, crediting him with breaking a long-standing diplomatic “deadlock” and helping pave the way for direct talks. French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen joined in praising Trump’s mediation.
While the European leaders emphasized Trump’s role in the peace process, Putin offered a striking reflection on the war’s origins. During a press conference after his Alaska meeting with Trump, Putin echoed Trump’s long-standing claim that Russia would not have invaded Ukraine had Trump not lost the 2020 election.
The agreement to hold direct talks between Putin and Zelenskyy signals cautious optimism for a possible breakthrough in one of the world’s most entrenched conflicts.
By Makinde oyinkansola| August 20, 2025
Discover more from DnewsInfo
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
