U.S. President Donald Trump announced on August 18, 2025, his intention to orchestrate direct discussions between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, aiming to explore avenues for a peaceful resolution to the ongoing conflict.
This development follows a White House meeting where Trump hosted Zelenskyy and several European leaders. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz expressed optimism for a trilateral summit involving Putin and Zelenskyy within the next fortnight, contingent on continued diplomatic efforts to secure Putin's participation. Potential venues for the meeting are being considered, including Rome, Geneva, Budapest, and Helsinki, with Italy and Switzerland having confirmed their readiness to host.
The discussions also addressed security guarantees for Ukraine, with European leaders emphasizing their importance and Trump indicating U.S. coordination in providing them. Ukrainian President Zelenskyy stated that these guarantees would be formalized within ten days of the talks. U.S. Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff are reportedly coordinating the arrangements with Russia and Ukraine.
The international community is closely monitoring these diplomatic efforts, as a successful summit facilitated by President Trump holds the potential to de-escalate the conflict and foster regional stability. The proposed security guarantees are expected to be modeled on NATO's Article 5, focusing on collective defense without Ukraine's membership in the alliance.