The UAE: A Potential Venue for a Historic Meeting Between Trump and Putin Amid Intense Diplomatic Efforts

The current U.S. President, Donald Trump, has suggested that the United Arab Emirates is a suitable location for a potential meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. This statement comes amidst a flurry of diplomatic activity, coinciding with Trump’s reception of UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan at the White House, where a formal welcoming ceremony took place.

These developments unfold as intense coordination is underway between the American and Russian sides to arrange a bilateral summit between Trump and Putin in the coming days. According to U.S. presidential advisor Yuri Ushakov, who was quoted by the Interfax news agency, a meeting was "tentatively agreed upon at the suggestion of the Russian side." Ushakov confirmed that practical preparations have already begun, and next week has been floated as a potential timeframe for the meeting, with both sides viewing this option positively.

While the final location for the meeting has not been officially disclosed, Ushakov clarified that a preliminary agreement has been reached and the White House will announce the venue at a later date. The relevant teams are now working on finalizing the specific details of this important encounter.

On a separate note, Ushakov addressed the possibility of a trilateral meeting involving Trump, Putin, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He revealed that this option was mentioned by Russian presidential envoy Steve Witkoff during a meeting at the White House, but Washington did not comment on the idea, preferring to focus on ensuring the success of the bilateral summit first. Trump himself stated that he is "not generally opposed" to a meeting with Zelenskyy but emphasized that "conditions must be created" for such an encounter, confirming that the current situation is "far from ready."

For her part, Kremlin spokesperson Carolyn Leavitt confirmed that Putin is open to meeting both Trump and Zelenskyy. However, CNN noted that arranging a meeting between Trump and Putin next week "would not be easy." Meanwhile, the New York Times cited sources stating that Trump plans to meet Putin in person as soon as possible, possibly next week, with a follow-up trilateral meeting including Zelenskyy to be planned later. These conflicting statements and positions reflect the complexity and sensitivity of the current diplomatic landscape and these potential meetings.