Circles: Trump announces imminent meeting with Putin

The German Press Agency learned this from Berlin government circles following a telephone conversation between Trump and several European heads of government, including Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU). The New York Times and other US media also reported on similar plans.

Trump informed his European partners about his special envoy Steve Witkoff's conversation in Moscow on the war in Ukraine. In the phone call, he also announced his intention to meet with Putin in person, according to German government circles. The latter had previously received the US negotiator Witkoff for around three hours in the Kremlin.

Trump subsequently wrote on the Truth Social platform that Witkoff had had an "extremely productive" meeting with Putin. "Great progress was made." Trump did not give any details. He went on to write that he himself had informed some of the European allies afterwards. They all agreed that the war had to end. They would work towards this "in the coming days and weeks".

According to information from Kiev, Trump also informed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Selensky of the results of the negotiations with Witkoff in Moscow in the evening.

Meeting as early as next week?

The "New York Times" reported, citing two people familiar with the plan, that Trump intends to meet Putin in person as early as next week. A three-way meeting with Zelensky would take place shortly afterwards. The TV channel CNN reported similarly, citing a source from a European government, among others.