White House plans Trump–Putin meeting for late next week

Sky News reported that a senior White House official said a meeting between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin is planned for late next week.

According to the official, the venue is still under discussion, with possible options including the United Arab Emirates, Hungary, Switzerland, and Rome.

Further details and logistics have yet to be finalized and could change. The exact date of the summit is also not set, and it is not yet known whether Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will take part.

The U.S. official said the Russian side has already provided a list of demands for a possible ceasefire. Washington is currently seeking support from Ukraine and European allies.

Trump-Putin meeting might take place in Rome

According to Sky News, Trump and Italian PM Meloni spoke on August 7. Trump reportedly discussed with the Italian prime minister the possibility of meeting Putin in Rome next week.

The sources also stressed that if a meeting in Rome were scheduled, it would take place in the Vatican.

The Vatican and U.S. embassy sources in Rome also did not comment.

But a foreign ministry spokesperson told Sky News: "Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani believes that, no matter how and wherever a genuine diplomatic dialogue between Russia and Ukraine proceeds, Italy will be ready to support this process sincerely and constructively."

Earlier in the day, Fox News reported on the upcoming meeting, citing two sources.

They also say that Rome is one of the locations currently being discussed by the American and Russian sides.

The TV channel notes that the meeting between Putin and Trump will be their first since Trump returned to power this year. It will be significant in the context of the three-year war, but it is unlikely to immediately lead to a cessation of hostilities, as the positions of Russia and Ukraine remain fundamentally opposed.

Speaking to journalists at the White House, Trump did not specify where the meeting might take place, but when asked about a possible summit involving Putin and Zelenskyy, he said that "there is a very good prospect that they will meet."

• Russia and the United States have agreed on a meeting between their leaders — Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump. Later, Putin stated that the UAE is a likely venue for talks with the U.S. president, while also calling a meeting with Volodymyr Zelenskyy possible, but said it is “still a long way off”.