Trump Calls Putin to Set up Face-to-Face Meeting With Zelenskyy

‘This was a very good, early step’ toward ending the war that has continued for nearly four years, the U.S. president said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (L) and U.S. President Donald Trump participate in a meeting in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, on Aug. 18, 2025. Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images

President Donald Trump on Monday called Russian President Vladimir Putin to arrange a face-to-face meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Putin.

It comes after Zelenskyy and other European leaders spent the day in meetings with Trump at the White House as the administration seeks to end the Russia–Ukraine war, which started in February 2022. European officials have pushed for the inclusion of Ukraine in any peace negotiations.