Trump says he will meet Putin and Zelenskiy only when peace deal reaches ‘final stages’

US President Donald Trump

President Donald Trump on Tuesday dispatched his top negotiators for a new round of high-level meetings with both Russia and Ukraine, while making clear he would only meet the two leaders if talks produce a near-final agreement to end the war.

“The original 28-Point Peace Plan, which was drafted by the United States, has been fine-tuned, with additional input from both sides, and there are only a few remaining points of disagreement” with “tremendous progress” made over the past week, Trump said in a social media post, referring to a proposal unveiled last week that drew criticism from Ukrainians and Europeans.

Trump has directed Special Envoy Steve Witkoff to travel to Moscow for discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin, while Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, who has been holding talks with Russian representatives in Abu Dhabi, has been tasked with meeting Ukrainian officials.

“I look forward to hopefully meeting with President Zelenskyy and President Putin soon, but ONLY when the deal to end this War is FINAL or, in its final stages,” Trump said in the social media post on Truth Social..

The renewed diplomatic effort comes even as the White House expresses optimism about progress, but international concerns persist over whether Trump’s push can deliver a viable agreement. This follows early reports suggesting a breakthrough was close.

Donald Trump also said Tuesday he is sending Witkoff to meet Putin in Moscow as part of his bid “to close out a deal to end the war in Ukraine.”

An initial US plan, which the news agency AFP reported was heavily weighted in Russia’s favour, has since been replaced with a revised version that incorporates more Ukrainian positions. An official familiar with the updated proposal told AFP it was “significantly better,” though US officials cautioned that “delicate” issues remain unresolved.

Donald Trump, who has long asserted he could end the conflict “within 24 hours,” had earlier set a target of having his proposal approved by Kyiv by Thanksgiving. But the first draft, which echoed several Russian war aims, including blocking Ukraine from ever joining NATO and forcing the country to cede additional territory, triggered alarm in Kyiv and across Europe.

The updated plan, according to AFP’s reporting, now appears more acceptable to Ukraine. One significant change was raising the proposed cap on Ukraine’s future armed forces from 600,000 to 800,000 personnel, the official told AFP.

Ukrainian negotiator Rustem Umerov said Tuesday there was “common understanding on the core” of the proposed deal between Ukraine and the United States. He added that remaining details should be finalised in direct talks between Presidents Zelensky and Trump “at the earliest suitable date.”

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer also cautioned: “There’s still a long way to go and a tough road ahead.”

Russia currently occupies about one-fifth of Ukraine's territory, devastated by months of conflict. Tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians have been killed, and millions have been displaced from eastern regions.

*With Agency Inputs