The Kremlin has confirmed that President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump are preparing for their first face-to-face meeting since Trump returned to the White House. Kremlin adviser Yuri Ushakov announced Thursday that “concrete preparations” for the summit are underway and that the location has already been chosen—though it remains undisclosed for now.

Summit Initiated by Washington Amid Ukraine Peace Talks

According to Ushakov, the proposal for the summit came from the U.S. side and could become a pivotal moment in ongoing efforts to end the war in Ukraine. Trump recently suggested that the talks may lead to a major “breakthrough” in peace negotiations.

Just a day before the announcement, Trump’s envoy, real estate executive Steve Witkoff, held a private meeting with Putin. According to Kremlin sources, this was not a symbolic gesture, but a genuine attempt to break the diplomatic deadlock over Ukraine.

Though Trump has alternated between praise and criticism of Putin in the past, he recently warned that if peace efforts fail, the U.S. will impose a fresh wave of sanctions—not only on Russia but also on any nation that continues to trade with it.

As the U.S. and Russia Plan a Summit, UAE Strengthens Its Ties with Moscow

While preparations for the Trump-Putin meeting progressed behind closed doors, UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan arrived in Moscow for a separate meeting with Putin. This marked his second visit to Russia within a year and fueled speculation that the UAE may host the upcoming summit.

According to Emirati state agency WAM, the visit focused on enhancing the nations’ “strategic partnership” and expanding cooperation in energy, trade, investment, and regional affairs. Trade between Russia and the UAE has surged since the invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Putin revealed that bilateral trade had already reached $11.5 billion, up from $9 billion in 2022. Bin Zayed expressed his ambition to double this figure within five years, extending cooperation beyond bilateral deals to include the Eurasian region.

Since signing a strategic partnership agreement in 2018, Putin and bin Zayed have met frequently. Unlike most Western nations, the UAE has remained neutral—avoiding sanctions and welcoming Russian oligarchs, foreign businesses, and private wealth. Today, around 4,000 Russian companies are operating in the Emirates.

Washington Closely Monitors UAE-Russia Relationship

The deepening ties between Abu Dhabi and Moscow have raised concerns in Washington. In 2023, the Biden administration labeled the UAE a “country of concern” for helping Moscow evade U.S. sanctions.

The U.S. Treasury reported that Emirati-based firms transferred over $5 million worth of U.S.-controlled goods to Russia during the second half of 2022—including semiconductors potentially used in battlefield weapons.

Despite these allegations, the UAE has maintained a policy of neutrality. Its official stance has been to call for an end to hostilities without explicitly supporting either Russia or Ukraine. That neutrality has made the UAE a crucial node for Russian global trade and financial survival, especially as traditional European routes collapse under sanctions.

Diplomatic Chess Game: The Summit May Shift U.S.–Russia Relations

Observers believe the upcoming summit could carry not only symbolic but also practical weight. After the recent Witkoff-Putin meeting, pro-Kremlin military blogger Yury Podolyaka wrote that “Putin played a masterful diplomatic game,” claiming Trump has entered a “negotiation carousel” orchestrated by the Kremlin.

Meanwhile, Trump has widened his focus beyond Russia. On Wednesday, he announced a new 25% tariff on Indian goods, set to take effect on August 28. The move is a direct response to ongoing oil trade between Delhi and Moscow. Trump also hinted that similar tariffs may soon target China, another major buyer of Russian crude.

Ushakov concluded with a notable remark: the meeting between Trump and Putin could mark the beginning of a new chapter in U.S.–Russia relations. He said both sides believe that the relationship “can be built on an entirely different, mutually beneficial basis” than in recent years.

Whether that happens will depend on what is decided when Trump and Putin finally sit across from each other—not in theory, but in person, face to face.


#TRUMP , #putin , #Geopolitics , #TradeWars , #worldnews

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