(Vietnam Insider) – Former U.S. President Donald Trump has praised what he described as a “very productive” meeting between his special envoy and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, suggesting new momentum toward resolving the Russia-Ukraine war.
Trump confirmed that his envoy, businessman and political ally Steve Witkoff, held a three-hour meeting with President Putin in Moscow on August 6. In a post on Truth Social shortly after the talks, Trump described the meeting as “very effective” and signaled optimism for a diplomatic breakthrough.
“Both sides will work to end the conflict in Ukraine in the coming days and weeks,” Trump wrote, describing the discussions as having made “major progress.”
He also noted that the results of the meeting had been shared with key U.S. allies in Europe but did not disclose specific details. “Everyone agrees the war in Ukraine must end,” Trump stated.
The Kremlin also confirmed the meeting between Putin and Witkoff, describing the talks as “useful and constructive.” Yuri Ushakov, Putin’s chief foreign policy aide, told reporters that both sides exchanged “signals” regarding the Ukraine conflict and discussed the potential for enhancing strategic cooperation between Moscow and Washington.
“President Putin conveyed a number of signals about Ukraine, and President Trump has received them,” Ushakov said.
Kirill Dmitriev, Russia’s Special Envoy for Investment, welcomed Witkoff upon his arrival in Moscow and was seen walking with him near the Kremlin. Dmitriev later posted on social media: “Dialogue will prevail,” and supported Trump’s optimistic assessment, saying “progress is being made.”
Later the same day, during a press briefing in the Oval Office, Trump was asked about the possibility of a future summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Trump responded that such a meeting could happen “very soon.”
“There’s a very strong prospect that they’ll meet. We haven’t confirmed a location yet, but today’s talks with President Putin were very positive. There’s a high likelihood of a meeting happening soon,” Trump said.
When asked how close a peace agreement might be, Trump declined to speculate.
Earlier in the day, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio also welcomed the talks, stating they helped Washington “better understand” the conditions under which Moscow would agree to peace.
Speaking with Fox Business, Rubio said, “If Russia and Ukraine can move closer in their positions, a three-way summit could follow.” He added that President Trump “has an opportunity to meet both President Putin and President Zelensky to try to end this conflict.”
Following Witkoff’s trip to Moscow, The New York Times reported—citing two anonymous sources—that Trump may hold a one-on-one meeting with President Putin as early as next week.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, speaking while returning from a visit to military brigades in Sumy Province, confirmed that he had a call with Trump and European leaders regarding the U.S. envoy’s visit to Moscow.
“Our joint position with our partners is very clear: The war must end, and it must end honestly,” Zelensky said. He also expressed appreciation for the support shown by European leaders during the call.
On the same day, Zelensky firmly stated that Kyiv would only support an “immediate, full, and unconditional” ceasefire.
His statement came shortly after Bloomberg reported that Moscow was considering a limited “no-fly ceasefire,” which would involve a temporary halt to drone and missile strikes—if Ukraine agreed to participate.
While partial ceasefires have been negotiated since the conflict escalated in 2022, both sides have frequently accused each other of violations almost immediately after agreements took effect.
To date, Moscow has insisted that any lasting peace agreement must include a formal commitment from Ukraine not to join NATO, a process of military demilitarization, and recognition of Russia’s territorial gains. Kyiv has so far rejected these conditions.
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Source: Vietnam Insider