Trump says first meeting with Putin to take place in Saudi Arabia

U.S. President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that he expects to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin “probably in Saudi Arabia” for the first of what could be a series of meetings aimed at ending the war in Ukraine.

“We expect that he’ll come here, and I’ll go there. Our first meeting will probably be in Saudi Arabia, in the not too distant future,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office, adding that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman would also play a key role in the peace talks.

Trump described the conflict, now approaching its third year, as a “disaster” and “really bloody horrible,” expressing confidence that with his involvement, progress could be made towards peace.

“We’ll get something done,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. “I’ll be dealing with President Putin, largely on the phone, but we expect to meet—he’ll come here, I’ll go there—and our first meeting will likely be in Saudi Arabia. We’re looking to end that war.”

This comes after the two leaders spoke by phone earlier in the day, agreeing to immediately begin peace talks on Ukraine—a significant thaw in relations that could potentially bypass Kyiv in the process.

The call lasted nearly 90 minutes, according to Russian officials.

While Trump emphasized his commitment to peace, the move has sparked concerns about Ukraine’s role in determining its own future. After Trump’s call with Putin, he later spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who was notably absent from the earlier discussions.

Zelenskyy described his conversation with Trump as “meaningful,” sharing details of his own recent talks and expressing a desire for peace. However, Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth cautioned European leaders that Ukraine’s goals of reclaiming pre-2014 borders and securing NATO membership were “illusionary” and “impractical.”