White House officials are tempering expectations ahead of Friday’s summit between Presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, casting it as a step toward a peaceful solution to the Ukraine war and avoiding promises of a ceasefire or any other type of grand bargain.
The goal, a White House official said, is for Trump to simply take the measure of Putin, find out if the Russian leader is serious and work toward a trilateral meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
This is all about “trusting Trump’s instincts,” said a White House official who, like others in this story, was granted anonymity to discuss the administration’s thinking.
Even as the president has repeatedly groused about Putin’s “bullshit” and double talk, the administration believes Putin has given signs that demonstrate this time is different.
Putin “offered a plan,” the official said. “It may not be a viable plan, but there was something on paper, which shows progress.”
Special envoy Steve Witkoff returned from Russia last week and told Trump that Putin wanted to meet. Trump sees that as progress, “so he will go to hear him out,” the official said.
The White House has not divulged exactly what Putin wants but Trump and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte have said that swapping land for peace – an idea Zelenskyy has rejected out of hand – is on the table.
Trump’s willingness to take a meeting without preconditions underscores his desire to end the war and the faith he has in his own ability to suss out Putin’s intentions.
“After they talk, Trump will be able to gauge how serious Putin is about peace,” said a second White House official. This meeting is “the beginning of a new phase.”
Trump on Monday claimed that he could know within two minutes of meeting Putin whether progress was possible.
“I may say, ‘lots of luck, keep fighting,’ or I may say we can make a deal,” the President said.
A person close to the White House noted that Zelenskyy, in part due to allegations over corruption, is politically weak, offering Putin an opportune time to press his advantage.
“This is all trending towards POTUS having to make a judgment call about what Putin’s intentions are,” the person said.
Meanwhile, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is convening a virtual summit on Wednesday where Trump, Zelenskyy and European leaders can discuss a potential agreement with Putin.
The virtual summit will focus on pressure options against Russia, questions about Ukrainian territories seized by Russia, security guarantees for Kyiv and the sequencing of potential peace talks.
