Trump-Putin-Zelenskyy summit floated in secret Moscow talks: Report

During a covert trip to Moscow, CIA Director John Ratcliffe discussed the prospect of a trilateral summit involving US President Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, according to two sources briefed on the matter. Ratcliffe, who made his first personal contribution to the Trump administration's diplomatic efforts to resolve the Russia-Ukraine conflict, met with Russian intelligence chiefs Sergey Naryshkin and FSB Director Alexander Bortnikov. The discussions centered on persuading Putin to resume US-mediated negotiations with Ukraine.

US officials briefed Zelenskyy about Ratcliffe's talks on Friday, and the idea of a three-way summit has previously been raised by the Trump administration. While Zelenskyy expressed support for the proposal, Putin has rejected it. Ratcliffe also suggested restarting peace negotiations, despite a bleak assessment of the war and urging Russia to reach a deal before its situation worsens further.

The potential summit is part of ongoing US-mediated talks between Moscow and Kyiv, which have remained stalled since mid-February, following the resumption of the Iran war. White House envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner had also held discussions with Russian and Ukrainian negotiators in recent months, but significant progress has not been achieved.

Ukrainian officials, however, remain skeptical of Putin's intentions, citing intelligence suggesting Russia may prepare a major offensive in northern Ukraine, including around Kyiv and Chernihiv.

Zelenskyy's deputy chief of staff, Pavlo Palisa, stated that Putin had ordered the Russian military to prepare several operational scenarios for an offensive in Ukraine. Meanwhile, Zelenskyy's chief of staff Kyrylo Budanov suggested that US-mediated talks could resume in September. Upon learning of Washington's latest diplomatic efforts, Zelenskyy thanked the US for the "necessary tone" of its conversations with Russia and praised the Trump administration for advancing a "realistic vision" of what needed to be achieved.