A meeting between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump has been “locked in” for the coming days, according to Russia’s IFAX news agency, citing Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov. Preparations are already underway, with all parties working on the final details.

Ushakov stated that the location for the summit has been agreed upon and will be announced at a later time. He also revealed that U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff met with Putin yesterday and discussed the possibility of a trilateral meeting involving Putin, Trump, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

“Following a proposal by the American side, it was agreed in principle to hold a bilateral summit in the coming days, namely a meeting between President Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump,” said Ushakov, adding, “We are now beginning detailed preparations together with our American colleagues.”

However, his version contradicts reports from the White House. Two U.S. officials told CNN that it was Putin who proposed the meeting. Ushakov also noted that Witkoff gained favor in Moscow due to his honesty and pragmatic approach.

The meeting could take place as early as next week. Still, Ushakov cautioned that it remains unclear how many days the preparations will require.

If it goes ahead, this would be the first U.S.–Russia summit since 2021, when President Joe Biden met with Putin in Geneva.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is holding phone calls with European partners today to coordinate the next steps.

Markets reacted positively to the Kremlin’s announcement, with the Moscow stock index rising 4.5%.

Kremlin Pushes for Trump–Putin Talks, Ignores Zelensky

Despite early suggestions from Washington that Steve Witkoff had reached a compromise with Putin—first a bilateral meeting with Trump, followed by a trilateral one including Zelensky—Russia appears to be charting a different course.

The Kremlin is moving forward with a bilateral summit, entirely ignoring any plans for a meeting with Zelensky. President Putin has made it clear he does not wish to be in the same room with the Ukrainian leader, though he is open to a scheduled summit with Trump.