War in Ukraine May Top Agenda at Putin-Trump Summit

International International News

Posted by AI on 2025-08-12 20:49:54 | Last Updated by AI on 2025-08-13 14:45:20

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President Trump has reportedly asked advisors whether he can host Russian President Vladimir Putin at the White House, and such a meeting is likely to occur at the end of this month at a neutral location. The main topic of conversation will undoubtedly be the ongoing war in Ukraine, and the White House argues that it is a necessary "listening exercise" to learn Putin's goals and intentions.

Even as the prospect of a summit aroused excitement among Trump supporters and conspiracy theorists alike, the Russia-Ukraine war crisis has only intensified in the New Year, with the latest deadly assault coming Monday in a Ukrainian rocket attack on a Russian base in occupied Crimea.

The White House has sought to assuage concerns, claiming that Trump's sole purpose in inviting Putin to speak will be to encourage "peace diplomacy and stability in Europe and beyond."

Trump's controversial fondness for Putin has been a recurrent theme throughout his presidency and was a central topic in the investigations into Russian interference in American politics by the US Congress.

That scrutiny intensified when Trump allegedly attempted to hijack the 2020 G7 summit to create a parallel meeting focused exclusively on Russia.

Meanwhile, American officials are preparing for a protracted war despite Ukraine's success in retaking territory, partly because they reject Putin's narrative that Russia is mainly interested in "defending" Crimea and the Donbas region.

And it seems the upcoming summit will at least in part be focused on getting Putin to explain that narrative (and others) in person. The White House claims that Trump will "listen" to what Putin has to say.

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