Trump Pushing For Summit With Putin & Zelensky Next Friday

President Trump has stated in the wake of the historic Alaska summit that he and Russian President Vladimir Putin had a productive meeting, but they were unable to reach an agreement on a ceasefire or peace deal for Ukraine. “We didn’t get there” on a ceasefire, Trump described. And yet there appears to be real momentum this time, coming out of Alaska.

Ukrainian President Zelensky is meanwhile set to arrive in Washington Monday to discuss peace in the Oval Office. Of course, talks didn’t go so well last time – and there’s likely to be persisting tensions – given that the conflict, as explained by Putin on Friday, would never have happened if Trump had been president, something which Trump himself has long asserted.

Trump had told European leaders in a post-summit call that he’s now seeking a trilateral summit with Putin and Zelensky as soon as next Friday, according to sources in Axios. “I think the meeting was a 10,” Trump said in a post-summit interview with Fox News. “In the sense, we got along great, and it’s good when two big powers get along, especially when they’re nuclear powers. We’re No. 1 and they’re No. 2 in the world.”

And yet Putin’s firm conditions make such a trilateral summit unlikely at such a near date – also given the Russian president has in the recent past made clear he would only meet with Zelensky if the two were ready to sign a deal, or essentially already at the goal line.

The Kremlin has still maintained that Zelensky doesn’t have legal legitimacy, given the cancelation of elections in Ukraine and extension far past his term expiration.

According to more from Axios, this is where things stand in terms of Putin’s demands, based on admin sources:

• They said Putin had demanded that Ukraine cede two of the four regions to which Russia has laid claim (Donetsk and Luhansk), and freeze the front lines in the other two (Kherson and Zaporizhzhia). Russia controls nearly all of Luhansk, but only about three-quarters of Donetsk.
• Putin presented his willingness to stop pushing forward in Kherson and Zaporizhzhia as a concession, in exchange for Ukraine withdrawing from Donetsk, one source briefed on the call said. In reality, Russia hasn’t made any progress in those areas for some time.
• A Ukrainian source said the U.S. side had the impression Putin was willing to negotiate over the small slivers of the Sumy and Kharkiv regions under Russian control.

If it is accurate that Putin is only demanding full political recognition for the Russian Federation over just two of the territories, this suggests Moscow is willing to make compromise – or at least have substantial top level discussions – to end the war, thought Western pundits are still calling these ‘maximalist’ demands. The hawks certainly don’t want to entertain this.

That real negotiations involving Putin, Trump, and Zelensky are opening up based on these aggressive White House diplomatic moves is a very positive development toward final settlement – though plenty of immense hurdles remain.

For staters, with Zelensky headed back to D.C., his European backers are doing everything to ensure it is only Ukraine’s maximum demands which are recognized.

Rules-Based International Order: One set of rules for me, another set of rules for you pic.twitter.com/cTwp8TzVnJ

— Glenn Diesen (@Glenn_Diesen) August 17, 2025

The popular X commentator Russian Markets points out the “Germans are in panic as Zelensky goes alone to meet Trump, so all the EU leaders together with NATO’s chief are preparing to answer the questions Trump will put to Zelensky. So, do you see who is truly at war with Russia?“

As it stands, Zelensky has repeatedly assured his population and allies that Ukraine won’t cede an inch of territory, and he’s still not even offered political recognition of Crimea as Russia’s.

What Russia could permanently come away with if a final settlement is reached on the Kremlin’s terms.

So a lot will be known by Monday after Zelensky’s Oval Office visit – given he’s going to have to bring some compromise to the table which is substantial, if there are hopes of finally ending the war. The question also remains: is Trump ready to exert the necessary pressure, and also push back against the hawks in Europe and in Congress?