President Donald Trump said he will not meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy or Russian President Vladimir Putin until a deal to end the war between Russia and Ukraine is in its final stages or finalized.
The two countries have been at war since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Trump said he has ordered Special Envoy Steve Witkoff to meet with Putin in Moscow, while Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll will be meeting with the Ukrainians.
"I will be briefed on all progress made, along with Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles," President Trump said.
RELATED STORY | A deal to end Russia's invasion of Ukraine is taking shape, but critical details are still in the dark
Earlier on Tuesday, Zelenskyy reportedly accepted a proposed deal to end the war, according to a U.S. official, though “minor details” still need to be finalized.
The possible breakthrough follows a weekend meeting in Geneva between Ukrainian and American delegations, as well as U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s discussions with Ukrainian officials in Switzerland. Rubio described that meeting as one of the most productive to date in efforts to end the conflict.
Rustem Umerov, a senior adviser to Zelenskyy, posted early Tuesday on social media that the two sides had achieved “a common understanding” of the key terms and were seeking European support for the next steps.
Moscow’s response to the reported agreement is expected to be a key factor in determining whether talks lead to a formal end to the bloodiest conflict in Eastern Europe in decades.
