White House announces Putin agreed to bilateral meeting with Zelenskyy

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White House announces bilateral Putin-Zelenskyy meeting

Russian President Vladimir Putin has agreed to participate in a bilateral meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, according to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt.

In a major step toward ending the years-long war, Russian President Vladimir Putin has agreed to a bilateral meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt made the announcement during Tuesday's press briefing. She clarified that "if necessary" there could be a trilateral meeting involving the U.S. after Putin and Zelenskyy meet.

"President Trump spoke with President Putin by phone, and he agreed to begin the next phase of the peace process, a meeting between President Putin and President Zelenskyy, which would be followed, if necessary, by a trilateral meeting between President Putin, President Zelensky and President Trump," Leavitt said on Tuesday.

Leavitt said that Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff would "continue to coordinate with Russia and Ukraine to make this happen as soon as possible," and added later, "I can assure you that the United States government and the Trump administration is working with both Russia and Ukraine to make that bilateral happen as we speak."

The White House announced on Tuesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to a bilateral meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. (Sputnik/Gavriil Grigorov/Pool via Reuters; Brian Snyder/Reuters)

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The announcement comes just one day after Zelenskyy and several European leaders gathered at the White House to debrief following Trump's high-stakes summit with Putin in Alaska. Leavitt highlighted European leaders' praise for Trump following the Alaska and D.C. summits. 

 "I think in the past two weeks, we’ve probably had more progress in ending this war than we have in the past three-and-a-half years," Finnish President Alexander Stubb said.

U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer echoed the sentiment and acknowledged that for three-and-a-half years "nobody has been able to bring it to this point."

President Donald Trump and European leaders gather for a multilateral meeting in the White House on Aug. 18, 2025. (REUTERS/Alexander Drago)

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Additionally, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte thanked Trump and credited the president for breaking a "deadlock" when it comes to getting Putin to the table.

Zelenskyy, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also praised Trump's peace efforts.

While the European leaders focused on Trump's ability to bring an end to the war, Putin made a statement on how the brutal conflict began.

President Donald Trump greets Russian President Vladimir Putin as he arrives at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson on Aug. 15, 2025, in Anchorage, Alaska.  (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

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During a joint press conference on Friday after their meeting, Putin confirmed something that Trump has insisted for nearly four years — Russia would not have invaded Ukraine had Trump not lost the 2020 election. 

"I can confirm that," Putin said at the end of the presser.

This statement left many, including FOX News' Jacqui Heinrich, wondering what Trump planned to do to ensure Ukraine's security beyond 2028. Heinrich posed the question to Leavitt, who said that Trump "understands the need" for long-term security guarantees, citing his talks with European leaders and NATO following the Alaska summit.