A MARTÍNEZ, HOST:
President Trump says there is a very good prospect he will meet very soon with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in an attempt to end Russia's war with Ukraine.
STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:
The president, President Trump, was speaking after what he described as productive talks between his special envoy Steve Witkoff and Putin.
MARTÍNEZ: NPR White House correspondent Franco Ordoñez has been following all the developments. So, Franco, tell us more about when or whether this meeting will even happen.
FRANCO ORDOÑEZ, BYLINE: Yeah, A, Trump didn't share timing details. But he did speak optimistically about a meeting happening soon following these talks with his special envoy.
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PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: There's a very good chance that we could be ending the round, ending the end of that road. That road was long and continues to be long. But there's a good chance that there will be a meeting very soon.
ORDOÑEZ: Now, according to statements from Russia, a meeting between Trump and Putin could happen as early as next week. Russian officials agreed the talks were constructive and added that they were finalizing a location. But Trump is also being a bit cautious and reflective in his assessment, considering, you know, the up and down nature of how these developments have gone. You know, he really did not want to call this a breakthrough or even handicap it in any way about when a deal could be reached.
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TRUMP: I don't want to say. I've been disappointed before with this one.
MARTÍNEZ: Now, did Vladimir Putin give up anything to get this meeting?
ORDOÑEZ: Yeah, it's unclear whether Putin has offered any concessions. Trump would only say that the meeting with Witkoff was productive. But this would be a big win for Putin. He has long sought a meeting with Trump. And I'll just add, A, that Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in an interview with Fox Business, says they now have, quote, "concrete examples of the kinds of things that Russia would ask for in order to end a war." Now, he would not give too many details but said that concessions would have to be made on both sides. And he noted that a ceasefire is a key step.
MARTÍNEZ: You know, Franco, thinking back to the relationship between Trump and Putin, I mean, it's been hot, it's been cold. How has it evolved over the months and years?
ORDOÑEZ: Yeah, I mean, it is very, very complicated. I mean, for months, Trump resisted putting pressure on Putin, saying he did not want to complicate the path to a peace agreement. But over time, Trump's posture shifted as Russia escalated its strikes against Ukraine. Trump, remember, would talk about how they'd have these, quote, "beautiful conversations," and then the next day bombs would be falling on Kyiv. Trump eventually lost patience, even lashing out at Putin ahead of a meeting with the secretary general of NATO, where Trump announced plans to boost U.S. military support for Ukraine. And most recently, Trump threatened more intense sanctions if Russia didn't agree to a peace deal. And that deadline is Friday, tomorrow.
MARTÍNEZ: So, OK, let's just say President Trump and President Putin meet. They actually get together and meet. How big of a deal would this be?
ORDOÑEZ: I mean, it'd be a big deal. I mean, this would be the first face-to-face meeting with a U.S. president since then-President Joe Biden met Putin in 2021. Trump met Putin, of course, in Helsinki in his first term in 2018. And it's also just a big step. I mean, Trump campaigned on a promise to end this war within 24 hours of being elected, and that obviously hasn't happened. But he really wants to be considered for the Nobel Peace Prize. While he says he's made progress on a number of lesser-known conflicts such as India, such as Pakistan, this war in Ukraine and also Gaza have really been challenges for him. And he's said over and over that this is the big one he's working on.
MARTÍNEZ: That's White House correspondent Franco Ordoñez. Thanks a lot.
ORDOÑEZ: Thank you, A. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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