Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky could meet within the next two weeks thanks to President Trump’s efforts to bring an end to the war, according to German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.

Putin agreed to the potential meeting, which would take place at a location to be determined, during a phone call with the president on Monday, said Merz, who was among a delegation of European leaders who met with Trump and Zelensky in Washington to pledge their support for Ukraine.

During a break in the discussions, Trump called Putin, who “agreed that there would be a meeting between the Russian president and the Ukrainian president within the next two weeks,” Merz told reporters.

Trump proposed such a meeting so that peace negotiations could “truly begin” three and a half years since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, added Merz.

“We don’t know whether the Russian president will have the courage to attend such a summit. Therefore, persuasion is needed,” said Merz.

Trump said after Monday’s discussions he was “very happy” with the progress being made toward ending the bloodshed in Ukraine following his Alaska summit with Putin on Friday.

“Everyone is very happy about the possibility of PEACE for Russia/Ukraine,” Trump posted on social media after nearly six hours of talks.

Trump also confirmed that he spoke to Putin on the phone and said that after the two warring leaders sit down for one-on-one talks, he would join them at a different time for trilateral discussions.

“Again, this was a very good, early step for a War that has been going on for almost four years,” the president added on Truth Social. The White House meeting included the leaders of the European Commission, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, NATO and the United Kingdom — with those nations expected to put up the bulk of peacekeeping forces following a possible peace agreement as a de facto security guarantee for Ukraine.

Merz told reporters that “it is absolutely clear that the whole of Europe should participate” in bringing about an end to the war and providing security guarantees for Ukraine.

However, the announcement about a possible meeting between Zelensky and Putin comes as Russia unleashed its largest drone attack on its neighbor this month Monday night, sparking concerns that Moscow is not ready for peace.

“While hard work to advance peace was underway in Washington, D.C. … Moscow continued to do the opposite of peace: more strikes and destruction,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha wrote on X. Putin’s forces launched 270 drones and 10 missiles on the city of Kremenchuk, in their largest assault so far in August, according to the Ukrainian air force.

The bombardment didn’t claim any casualties but it left nearly 1,500 households without electricity, said the governor of Poltava region, where Kremenchuk is located.

The Russian Defense Ministry said its forces hit an oil refinery supplying Ukraine’s military. 

With Post wires