U.S. President Donald Trump said on October 28 local time that progress is being made in the Russia-Ukraine issue, and a meeting involving Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will be arranged in the near future.
According to Bloomberg, in the early hours of the day, after concluding his mid-term election campaign in Texas, Trump said to reporters on his way back to Washington: "I think we are making significant progress on the issues of Russia and Ukraine."
"We'll arrange a meeting very soon," he added, "with President Putin and President Zelenski attending."
When asked when this summit might take place, Trump replied, “I think it won’t take too long.” However, he also said that the Russia-Ukraine issue “may not necessarily be resolved through meetings.”
Trump did not provide any more details about the proposed meeting.
U.S. Secretary of State Rubio and President’s Envoy Wetkovic accompanied Trump to Texas. Trump also stated that during their trip, they discussed issues related to Russia and the war in Iran.
During the 2024 presidential campaign, Trump promised that if elected, he would resolve the Russia-Ukraine conflict within 24 hours. However, the situation on the Russian-Ukraine battlefield remains stalemated, and the negotiations that have taken place since Trump returned to the White House have not been successful.
In recent weeks, Trump has expressed strong dissatisfaction towards Zelenskyy, accusing Ukraine of attacking Russian energy infrastructure, which has led to further increases in energy prices in the United States. However, it is widely believed that the war between the United States, Israel, and Iran that erupted at the end of February is the more important reason for the high oil prices.
As the U.S. midterm elections approach, rising costs of living such as fuel, healthcare, and housing have become important concerns for voters, putting greater pressure on the Republican Party led by Trump.
