Trump: Meeting Between Putin and Zelenskyy 'Very Soon'

US President Donald Trump announced yesterday that a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy would be arranged “very soon.” Trump told the media, “A meeting will be set up very soon, and I believe that considerable progress can be made” regarding diplomatic efforts to end the war between Russia and Ukraine. The announcement comes as the Trump administration intensifies its diplomatic efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war, which has entered its fifth year.

Last Sunday, Zelenskyy announced that a trilateral meeting between Kyiv, Washington, and Moscow would be held next November, with the aim of reviving stalled peace talks. The Kremlin had previously stated that a meeting among the three countries was scheduled to take place in the United Arab Emirates.

On another front, Russian President Vladimir Putin yesterday praised the growing role of the Russia-Africa partnership in creating the conditions necessary to build a multipolar world system, emphasizing the importance of enhancing Africa’s international standing and expanding economic, trade, technological, and humanitarian cooperation between the two sides.

This was stated in a speech delivered by Putin during the plenary session of the third edition of the Russia-Africa Economic and Humanitarian Forum in Moscow, attended by African Union Commission Chairperson and President of the Republic of Burundi, Evariste Ndayishimiye, who also addressed the plenary session.

Putin affirmed Russia’s support for strengthening the role of African countries in making key decisions within international organizations, particularly the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, calling for changes to the operational mechanisms of these institutions and their redirection to meet the needs of developing economies. He stressed the need to enable African countries to manage their own resources and enhance the independence of their economic and financial decisions, noting that their continued reliance on Western financial systems limits their sovereignty.

In the economic and trade field, Putin emphasized that Russia-Africa relations continue to develop despite the unprecedented pressures and sanctions he described, pointing out that Western countries are also exerting pressure on Moscow’s partners.

For his part, the President of the Republic of Burundi and African Union Commission Chairperson, Evariste Ndayishimiye, called on Russian companies to expand their investments in the African continent, particularly in the sectors of agriculture, energy, mining, infrastructure, vocational training, and scientific research. In his speech at the summit, Ndayishimiye stressed the importance of establishing equal partnerships that achieve mutual benefit, enhance the processing of African resources, and increase their added value, rather than exporting raw materials, thereby contributing to job creation and poverty reduction.