Trump vowed to end Ukraine war in first 24 hours of his presidency - nearly 200 days in, could he be close?
A White House official said on Wednesday that Donald Trump could meet with Vladimir Putin as early as next week. It suggests something shifted on a day when there was no expectation of a breakthrough.
Thursday 7 August 2025 17:41, UK
Seven hours is a long time in US politics.
At 10am, Donald Trump accused Russia of posing a threat to America's national security.
By 5pm, Mr Trump said there was a "good prospect" of him meeting Vladimir Putin "soon".
There had, he claimed, been "great progress" in talks between his special envoy Steve Witkoff and the Russian president.
It's difficult to gauge the chances of a meeting between the two leaders without knowing what "great progress" means.
Is Russia "inclined" towards agreeing a ceasefire, as Ukraine's president now claims?
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Is Mr Putin prepared to meet with his Ukrainian foe, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, too?
The very fact that we're asking those questions suggests something shifted on a day when there was no expectation of a breakthrough.
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Tap to followMr Trump repeatedly vowed to end the war within 24 hours of becoming president.
On day 198 of his presidency, he might, just might, be one step closer to achieving that.