U.S. President Donald Trump has revealed that preparations are underway for a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The highly anticipated talks are expected to take place within the next two weeks.
Amid this development, Finnish President Alexander Stubb has openly questioned President Putin’s willingness to engage.
“We’ll see if Putin truly has the courage to attend such a meeting,” he remarked, raising doubts about the Russian leader’s intentions.
The British news outlet BBC reported the comments on Tuesday (August 19), following Stubb’s discussions with reporters after a full day of meetings at the White House alongside European leaders.
While President Stubb described the talks as “partially successful,” he noted that “no concrete decision” had been made regarding the United States’ role in providing security assurances for Ukraine.
He confirmed that the proposal for a bilateral meeting between Zelensky and Putin came from President Trump. However, Stubb cautioned, “Putin cannot be trusted.”
Reiterating the West’s priorities, Stubb said the central goal remains the protection of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. A detailed agreement on security guarantees could be finalized within the coming week, he added.
Earlier, President Trump stated that he had spoken directly with President Putin and that logistical preparations for the Zelensky-Putin meeting were underway. The exact location of the meeting has not yet been determined.
On Monday, Trump said, “Vice President J.D. Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Special Envoy Witkoff are coordinating with Moscow and Kyiv.” He expressed optimism, saying, “There is a great deal of hope for the possibility of establishing peace between Russia and Ukraine.”
Trump also confirmed that a trilateral meeting involving himself, Putin, and Zelensky is planned to follow the bilateral talks.
Meanwhile, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz echoed this timeline, stating that a meeting between the Russian and Ukrainian presidents is likely to happen within two weeks. He also confirmed that Putin has already agreed to participate.
