Why it matters: Putin has shown no interest in sitting down with Zelensky through 3.5 years of war. President Trump claims that's now changed, and that a presidential meeting is the key to unlocking peace.

The Kremlin is keeping its options open, but analysts said the Russian leader would probably only meet with his Ukrainian counterpart to accept a capitulation.

Doing so would require the Russian leader to “accept the failure of sitting down with a president he considers a joke from a country that doesn’t exist”

DONALD Trump said it is virtually impossible to set up a meeting between Putin and Zelensky as his efforts continue to be frustrated. Zelensky has said he is ready and willing to meet – but

The Kremlin hasn't ruled out summits but has said they could only meet in the very final stages of clinching a peace agreement.

In an unexpected moment during an event about the 2026 World Cup draw, President Donald Trump pulled out a photo of him and Russian President Vladimir Putin during their meeting in Alaska.