The Kremlin has downplayed speculation of an imminent meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, despite US President Donald Trump urging the two leaders to sit down for talks on ending the war.

Trump, who met Putin in Alaska last week and hosted Zelensky and seven European leaders in Washington on Monday, admitted the conflict was “a tough one” to solve and said Putin might not be interested in peace.

“We’re going to find out about President Putin in the next couple of weeks,” Trump told reporters on Tuesday. “It’s possible that he doesn’t want to make a deal.”

The US president initially floated the idea of a three-way summit with both leaders, but now says a bilateral meeting between Putin and Zelensky “would be better,” adding he would only attend “if necessary.”

Kremlin Response

Putin told Trump he was “open” to talks, but Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov quickly dampened expectations, saying any summit would require “gradual” preparation beginning with expert-level discussions. Russian officials echoed the view that a meeting “shouldn’t be for the sake of a meeting.”

Reports suggest Putin floated the idea of Zelensky travelling to Moscow — an option Ukraine is highly unlikely to accept.

Shifting US Position

The talks appear to have given Trump a deeper appreciation of the gulf between Moscow and Kyiv. His earlier promise of a swift ceasefire has faded; he is now urging the sides to pursue a permanent peace deal instead.

European leaders and Zelensky pressed Trump on the need for firm security guarantees for Ukraine. On Tuesday, Trump said Washington was ready to provide “air support” if European allies committed troops to enforce any ceasefire — while ruling out deploying US ground forces.

The UK and France are leading discussions on a “reassurance force” for Ukraine if hostilities end, with Downing Street confirming further talks with US officials in the coming days.

European Skepticism

While Trump remains optimistic, European leaders are wary. French President Emmanuel Macron called Putin “a predator, and an ogre at our doorstep,” expressing “the greatest doubt” that Moscow was serious about peace. Finnish President Alexander Stubb added that Putin was “rarely to be trusted.”

Still, both Macron and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban have floated possible summit locations, including Geneva and Budapest. But Kyiv remains cautious, given Orban’s close ties with Moscow.

The last Putin–Zelensky meeting was in 2019. Since then, Russia’s invasion has killed tens of thousands, displaced millions, and left Ukrainian cities under constant attack.

European leaders hope that by backing the idea of direct talks, they can persuade Trump to harden his stance if Putin proves unwilling to compromise.