Moscow, August 7, 2025 — In a major diplomatic development, Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump are set to meet in the coming days, marking the first bilateral summit between the two leaders since 2021, according to Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov.
The announcement follows a high-level meeting in Moscow on Wednesday between President Putin and Steve Witkoff, a close Trump envoy, who is reportedly spearheading an initiative to negotiate an end to the prolonged war in Ukraine. Trump has recently warned of additional sanctions against Russia and nations continuing to purchase its exports, should a resolution fail to materialize.
“At the suggestion of the American side, an agreement was essentially reached to hold a bilateral meeting at the highest level in the coming days — that is, a meeting between President Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump,” Ushakov confirmed.
“We are now beginning concrete preparations together with our American colleagues,” he told reporters, as quoted by Interfax News Agency.
While Ushakov noted that a venue for the summit has been finalized, the location will be disclosed in due course. President Putin was scheduled to meet the President of the United Arab Emirates on Thursday — a country earlier speculated as a potential host for the summit.
Markets React Positively to Diplomatic Progress
News of the impending summit sent Russian financial markets soaring, with the MOEX index surging over 5%, reaching a two-month high. The rouble also strengthened against both the U.S. dollar and the Chinese yuan.
This would be the first formal meeting between U.S. and Russian heads of state since Putin and then-President Joe Biden held talks in Geneva in June 2021. Relations deteriorated sharply after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, plunging bilateral ties into crisis.
Despite oscillating between praise and criticism of Putin in public, President Trump has pushed to reopen diplomatic channels and end the ongoing war in Eastern Europe.
Three-Way Summit Proposed, Russian Side Non-Committal
Ushakov revealed that Trump’s envoy, Witkoff, had floated the idea of a three-way summit involving Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in addition to Putin and Trump. However, he said the Russian delegation “left this proposal completely without comment.”
“We propose, first of all, to focus on preparing for a bilateral meeting with Trump, and we believe the main objective is to ensure this meeting is successful and productive,” Ushakov added.
Describing the Putin–Witkoff talks as "businesslike and constructive", Ushakov stated that the conversation reaffirmed the possibility of a new, mutually beneficial trajectory in U.S.–Russia relations — one significantly different from the trajectory of the past several years.
Geopolitical Undercurrents: India and China in Focus
Trump's broader geopolitical agenda came into sharp focus this week, with the U.S. President announcing a 25% tariff on Indian goods, set to take effect on August 28, citing India’s continued imports of discounted Russian oil. Trump also hinted at similar action against China, another major buyer of Russian crude.
In parallel, Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu met with Indian National Security Adviser Ajit Doval in Moscow on Thursday. Shoigu reaffirmed Russia’s commitment to a “comprehensive strengthening of the joint strategic partnership” with India. Interfax quoted Doval as stating that President Putin is expected to visit India at the end of August, further signalling deepening ties amid shifting global alliances.
Meanwhile, prominent Russian political commentator and pro-Kremlin blogger Yuri Podolyaka hailed the developments, describing Putin's diplomatic maneuvering as a “masterful game.”
“It seems that Vladimir Putin has managed to spin Trump into a carousel of negotiations,” Podolyaka wrote to his more than 3 million followers, referencing Wednesday’s Putin–Witkoff talks.
With concrete preparations now underway, the world watches closely as two of the globe’s most influential—and controversial—leaders prepare to meet. Whether the summit results in a breakthrough on Ukraine or simply marks another twist in global diplomacy remains to be seen.
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