Trump Holds Off on Putin-Zelensky Meetings Until Peace Deal Nearly Complete

President Donald Trump has announced he will only meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky once peace negotiations reach their final stages. The declaration came as Trump dispatched key envoys to both Moscow and Kyiv for continued high-level discussions aimed at ending the ongoing conflict.
Special Envoy Steve Witkoff has been directed to travel to Moscow for talks with Putin, while Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, who has been engaged with Russian officials in Abu Dhabi, received orders to meet with Ukrainian representatives. Trump emphasized in a social media statement that any presidential summit would occur only when a comprehensive agreement is nearly finalized.
The American president referenced what he called a 28-point peace plan that has undergone revisions based on feedback from both conflicting parties. According to Trump, only a few points of disagreement remain, with substantial progress achieved in recent days. However, skepticism persists internationally about whether these negotiations will produce a lasting settlement.
Ukrainian officials have expressed interest in securing an invitation to meet with Trump, who was scheduled to depart for his Mar-a-Lago resort for the Thanksgiving holiday. President Zelensky appeared to push back against suggestions that Kyiv had already approved any potential deal, stating that communications with the American side continue and expressing gratitude for Trump’s efforts.
The fundamental challenge remains unchanged: what Ukraine considers acceptable may prove unacceptable to Russia, and vice versa. Former US Ambassador John Herbst noted that Trump seeks durable peace while Putin aims for political control of Ukraine, suggesting these divergent objectives make agreement difficult without persuading Putin he cannot achieve his goals through continued conflict.