End of Russia-Ukraine war? Trump hints at meeting with Putin ‘very soon’ and confirms Zelensky’s role in peace talks

US President Donald Trump announced that he may meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin "very soon" to discuss ending the war in Ukraine. He expressed his belief that Putin genuinely wants to stop the fighting. While no specific date is set, Trump indicated ongoing talks between his team and Russian officials.

"No time set, but it could be very soon," Trump told reporters, AFP reported.

This comes amid diplomatic efforts, including Senator Marco Rubio's high-level U.S. delegation to Saudi Arabia. Trump also expressed confidence that both Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky want to end the conflict quickly.

Trump further stated that Zelensky would be involved in peace talks, contradicting earlier remarks from his advisers suggesting that talks might proceed without Ukraine.

“He will be involved, yes,” Trump said Sunday in response to reporters’ questions after attending the Daytona 500 car race in Florida, Bloomberg reported. He didn’t specify whether Zelenskiy or his aides would attend preliminary talks this week in Saudi Arabia or during a later summit among the country’s leaders.

However, Zelensky has insisted that no decisions regarding Ukraine should be made without Ukraine’s participation.

“So I will never accept any decisions between the United States and Russia about Ukraine,” Zelenskiy said in a pre-recorded interview with NBC’s Meet the Press broadcast Sunday. “Never. And our people, never,” Bloomberg reported.

Meanwhile, Rubio stressed that peace efforts would be complex and require more than one meeting, noting that a process towards peace takes time. Despite ongoing diplomatic exchanges, Zelensky remains cautious, calling Putin a liar and asserting that Ukraine must be included in any negotiations. Trump, however, dismissed Zelensky's concerns, claiming he is not worried about the Ukrainian leader’s stance.

As per a Bloomberg report, Trump, who had a phone call with Vladimir Putin on Wednesday, said he doesn’t believe the Russian president has further territorial ambitions in Ukraine. “No, I think he wants to stop,” Trump said.

Trump’s comments follow a phone call with Putin earlier in the week, where both leaders agreed to start ceasefire negotiations. However, the involvement of Ukraine in these talks remains a key issue, with Zelensky steadfast in his position that no peace agreement should exclude Ukraine.

-With inputs from AFP, Bloomberg