Trump says Putin doesn't have to meet with Zelensky before their sit-down

WASHINGTON - US President Donald Trump said Thursday that a meeting between Russian and Ukrainian leaders isn't a condition for him to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in what would be their first in-person encounter in Trump's second term.

Asked by a reporter at the White House Thursday afternoon whether Putin needs to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky before sitting down with Trump, the US president said, "No, he doesn't."

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement shortly before Trump's Oval Office remarks that "the Russians expressed their desire to meet with President Trump, and the President is open to this meeting."

"President Trump would like to meet with both President Putin and President Zelensky because he wants this brutal war to end," she said, adding that the White House is "working through the details of these potential meetings and details will be provided at the appropriate time".

The Kremlin said earlier on Thursday that a meeting between Trump and Putin had been agreed on in principle and would happen "in the coming days".

Plans for the face-to-face meeting between the two leaders surfaced after Putin's three-hour working meeting with Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff during the latter's visit to Moscow on Wednesday.

Upon his arrival at Moscow's airport, Witkoff was greeted by Putin's investment chief Kirill Dmitriev.

Russian presidential aide Yury Ushakov said Thursday the US side initiated the push for the high-level bilateral talks.

Briefing Trump on his Moscow trip, Witkoff said Putin would like to meet, and Trump responded that he was open to a meeting but that he also would want Putin to meet with Zelensky to discuss a ceasefire, media reports said.

Friday is the deadline set by Trump for Putin to end the conflict in Ukraine or face tough new economic sanctions. However, Trump suggested Thursday afternoon that the deadline might not be as firm as previously stated.

"We're going to see what he has to say. It's going to be up to him. Very disappointed," Trump told reporters at the White House when asked if the Friday deadline remains intact.