President Donald Trump has confirmed he will meet directly with Russian President Vladimir Putin “as soon as we can set it up,” following Putin’s decision to skip high-level peace talks in Istanbul aimed at ending the war in Ukraine. The announcement came during Trump’s Middle East tour, where he emphasized the need for real leadership and decisive diplomacy to bring the bloody conflict to an end.
The Istanbul summit marked the first direct peace talks between Russia and Ukraine in over three years. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy attended in person, while Putin sent only a lower-level delegation—a move widely seen as a diplomatic snub and a sign of disinterest in seriously pursuing a resolution.
Speaking from Abu Dhabi, Trump criticized Putin’s absence but remained focused on the bigger goal: peace. “You’ve got 5,000 young people dying every week in this war,” Trump said. “We’re going to put an end to it. That’s why a real, direct conversation is absolutely necessary.”
Trump’s plan to meet face-to-face with Putin is being hailed by many as a needed reset in international diplomacy. Rather than relying on symbolic summits and staged photo-ops, the President is aiming for substantive engagement—underscoring his belief that peace can only be achieved when the world’s most powerful leaders meet directly to cut through the posturing.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio echoed the President’s position, stating that a breakthrough will require Trump and Putin in the same room. “There’s no substitute for real leadership,” Rubio said. “The only way to get serious about peace is to get serious about who’s at the table.”
Though no exact date has been set, both Trump and Putin have reportedly expressed openness to a direct meeting. The move is seen as a bold next step in Trump’s broader foreign policy agenda, which favors tough, deal-focused diplomacy over endless bureaucracy.
With global tensions running high and the war in Ukraine grinding on, Trump’s call for action is a stark contrast to the stalled efforts of the past. Once again, he’s proving that America leads best when it leads from the front—and isn’t afraid to take the meeting.