On Thursday, a senior official in the Trump administration sparked interest with remarks that a meeting between President Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin could happen “immediately.”
Sebastian Gorka, the senior director of counterterrorism, mentioned, “Ultimately, the final agreement will involve my boss, President Trump, being present to finalize things,” amid discussions about Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
When reporter Dasha Burns questioned why Trump has yet to meet with Putin, Gorka responded somewhat cryptically.
“All transactions revolve around timing,” he stated. “When the moment arrives, it will be with the president and Putin in the same room. My expectations are for this to happen soon.”
As Burns pressed for additional details, Gorka simply replied: “That’s all.”
A source close to the White House indicated that, at this point, there are no scheduled plans for a direct meeting between Trump and Putin.
In the meantime, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has sent a negotiating team to Istanbul, marking what would be the first in-person meeting between the involved nations in three years.
Zelensky had personally traveled to Turkey, extending an offer to meet Putin for discussions on a ceasefire, but the Russian leader did not attend.
A delegation from the Trump administration, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, participated in the talks, although Trump expressed skepticism about their effectiveness.
“Nothing will transpire until Putin and I meet,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on Thursday. “If I wasn’t there, nothing would take place. I don’t think progress will be made, whether people want to admit it or not, until we are together. We need to address this.”
“You can rest assured when the final agreement is signed,” Gorka reiterated.
The ongoing conflict has become a focal point for Trump’s foreign policy priorities during his second term, and he has appeared frustrated at times with the slow progress towards peace negotiations.
Zelensky previously expressed support for a 30-day ceasefire proposed by Trump, but the Russians opted instead for a limited pause in attacking Ukrainian infrastructure.
In recent months, Putin has seemingly aimed to undermine Trump’s position, with Witkoff mentioning that Putin had rushed to pray for Trump following an assassination attempt in Pennsylvania earlier this year. Additionally, the Kremlin leader had reportedly commissioned a portrait of Trump from a prominent Russian artist.
