A summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin is slated to occur by the end of this week, with indications pointing to today or over the weekend, potentially in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
This follows a pivotal three-hour meeting between Putin and U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff in Moscow on August 6, 2025, where discussions on a Ukraine ceasefire were broached.
The Kremlin has proposed the UAE as a neutral venue, leveraging Putin’s recent visit to meet UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed al-Nahyan on August 7, 2025.
However, the White House insists Trump will only attend if Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is included, a condition Putin has resisted, calling it premature, according to Reuters.
The summit’s backdrop includes Trump’s recent policy shifts, such as imposing tariffs on India for importing Russian oil, announced after Witkoff’s visit, signaling economic pressure tactics. This follows a period of stalled negotiations, with Western analysts accusing Putin of stalling to gain ground in Ukraine, where a Russian offensive continues to advance.
The proposed meeting echoes the 2018 Helsinki Summit, where Trump’s handling of Russian election interference drew criticism, but current stakes are heightened by the ongoing war, with the UAE’s mediation role adding complexity.
No official agenda or exact timing has been confirmed, with both sides still finalizing logistics, though a Friday or Saturday meeting seems likely given the urgency.
