Star Metro - Kremlin says Trump-Putin meeting agreed for 'coming days'

The summit would be the first between sitting US and Russian presidents since Joe Biden met Putin in Geneva in June 2021. It comes as Trump seeks to broker an end to Russia's military assault on Ukraine.

Three rounds of direct talks between Moscow and Kyiv have failed to yield any progress towards a ceasefire. The two sides appear as far apart as ever in the conditions they have set for an end to the more than three-year-long conflict.

Trump said Wednesday he was likely to meet Putin face-to-face "very soon." They last sat together in 2019 at G20 summit meeting in Japan but have spoken by phone several times since Trump returned to the White House.

"At the suggestion of the American side, an agreement has been reached in principle to hold a bilateral summit in the coming days," Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said Thursday in a Kremlin statement.

"We are now starting to work out the details together with our American colleagues," he added.

The Kremlin said a venue had also been agreed "in principle", but did not name it.

"Next week has been set as a target date," said Ushakov.

- Putin-Zelensky meeting? -

Tens of thousands have been killed since Russia launched its military offensive on Ukraine in February 2022.

Russian bombardments have forced millions for flee their homes and destroyed swathes of eastern and southern Ukraine.

Putin has resisted multiple calls from the United States, Europe and Kyiv for a ceasefire.

At talks in Istanbul, Russian negotiators have outlined hardline territorial demands if Ukraine wants Russia to halt its advance -- calling for Kyiv to withdraw from territory it still controls and renounce Western military support.

Moscow has also repeatedly sought to cast doubt on Zelensky's legitimacy and ruled out a meeting between the two leaders until after the terms of a peace deal have been agreed.

The announcement of the upcoming summit comes a day after US envoy Steve Witkoff met Putin in Moscow.

Witkoff proposed a trilateral meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, but Russia did not respond to that proposal, Ushakov said.

"The Russian side left this option completely without comment," he added.

Zelensky earlier Thursday had refreshed his call for a meeting with Putin -- which he says is the only way to make progress towards peace.

"It is necessary to determine the timing for such a format and the range of issues to be addressed," he wrote on social media.

The Ukrainian leader later spoke with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. Both "praised the mediation efforts" of Trump, a German government spokesman said.

But Zelensky also called for Europe to be included in any potential peace talks.

"The war is happening in Europe, and Ukraine is an integral part of Europe -- we are already in negotiations on EU accession. Therefore, Europe must be a participant in the relevant processes," Zelensky said on social media after the call.

He also said he would hold several other conversations throughout the course of the day, including with French and Italian officials.

"Today, security advisors will hold an online meeting to align our joint views -- Ukraine and the whole Europe, the United States," Zelensky said.

"Ukraine is not afraid of meetings and expects the same brave approach from the Russian side. It is time we ended the war," he added.

K.Morrison--SMC