The White House has indicated that a meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to take place very soon, despite Russia’s official statements suggesting otherwise.
Sebastian Gorka, deputy assistant to President Trump and senior director for counterterrorism, expressed optimism about the meeting at an international security conference organized by Politico. When asked about the timing, Gorka emphasized the importance of timing in diplomatic deals, stating, “When the time is right, that’s when the president is in the room with Putin, but my expectation is imminently.”
Although pressed for further details, Gorka was notably evasive and curt, declaring his dislike for Politico and refusing to elaborate beyond the word “imminently.” This suggests that while the U.S. administration is preparing for high-level discussions, it is keeping details closely guarded until the meeting is confirmed.
In contrast, Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov told TASS that no meeting between Putin and Trump was scheduled in the coming days, indicating a discrepancy in public messaging between the two governments.
The issue of the Russia-Ukraine conflict was also addressed by Gorka, who made clear that President Trump does not intend to attend the ongoing talks in Istanbul. “No, because we need to have all the parties decide. One of the parties is missing, right? There is no point [in Trump’s presence],” he said, highlighting the complexity of the negotiations.
Gorka emphasized the U.S. priority in these matters is to stop the bloodshed. “We recognize the reality on the ground,” he said, referring indirectly to contentious issues like Russia’s sovereignty claims over Crimea. However, he declined to comment directly on these territorial questions, stating, “I’m the Senior Director for counterterrorism,” and implying such political issues are beyond his remit.
He reaffirmed that once an agreement is reached, President Trump would be the “man behind the art of the deal” to seal it, underscoring the administration’s role in brokering peace efforts.
While Russian officials maintain no meeting is imminent, the White House’s confident tone suggests preparations are underway for a significant diplomatic engagement between the two leaders. The world watches closely as these developments unfold, with hopes that dialogue will help ease tensions in Ukraine and beyond.
