ISTANBUL, Turkey — July 8, 2026 — President Donald Trump declared on Tuesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin is “ready to make a deal” to end the war in Ukraine, but flatly ruled out holding any potential peace talks on Russian soil. Speaking alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Istanbul, Trump said he had directly told Putin that a meeting in Moscow “isn’t happening.”
“I made it very clear to President Putin: if we’re going to have a sit-down, it won’t be in Moscow. Not anytime soon,” Trump told reporters. “He understands that. He wants this war to stop, and we’re going to get it done.”
The remarks mark the first time Trump has publicly dictated terms for a potential face-to-face encounter between the two leaders since taking office. The surprise announcement injected a fresh burst of diplomatic urgency into the NATO gathering, where allies have been pressing for concrete steps toward de-escalation.
Zelenskyy, standing beside Trump, offered a more cautious tone. “We welcome any serious effort to bring peace, but the conditions must be just and the timeline must be credible,” he said. “We will not accept a freeze that rewards aggression.”
Trump did not specify a location for the proposed summit, though diplomatic sources suggested neutral ground such as Switzerland or Saudi Arabia remains under consideration. The president’s blunt refusal to travel to Moscow signals a hardening posture toward the Kremlin, even as he pursues a personal rapport with Putin that has long drawn criticism from European allies.
The NATO summit continues through Wednesday, with defense spending and renewed sanctions against Russia topping the agenda. Trump’s latest push for a leader-level meeting injects high-stakes drama into the final day of talks, as the White House aims to deliver a breakthrough before the November midterm elections.