State Department says Putin initiated Trump meeting; officials describe summit as fact-finding

State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce told reporters that Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov about preparations for an upcoming summit between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, and that President Putin initiated the arrangement.

The meeting, Bruce said, was described by U.S. officials as a preparatory, fact-finding encounter intended to “see exactly what was possible.” Bruce said both sides “confirmed their commitment to a successful event,” and she added that it was President Putin who called to make the arrangement.

The briefing also addressed whether Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky would be invited. Bruce quoted the president’s public statements that the meeting is a preliminary session to “see what he has in mind,” and that if the president determines a deal is fair, he would inform European Union and NATO leaders and notify President Zelensky directly. Bruce said the president described the meeting as a way to determine possibilities rather than as a negotiation conducted in Washington.

Bruce declined to offer additional, formal details about the summit’s agenda, saying only that the visit was framed as an opportunity for the U.S. president to “see what’s possible” and that further information would be shared as it becomes available.

The State Department statement leaves open several substantive questions — who will attend beyond the two presidents, what topics will be covered in detail, and what, if any, preparatory diplomatic steps will follow. Bruce said she had no further details to announce from the podium.