Preparations are in progress for a face-to-face meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump.

This development follows the return of Trump’s special envoy to Russia, who described his meeting with Putin as “long and productive.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in a surprising statement, expressed his willingness to resign if it would guarantee peace for Ukraine and facilitate the country’s entry into NATO. “If it guarantees peace for Ukraine, if you really need me to resign, I am ready. I can exchange it for NATO,” Zelenskyy said.

However, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has dismissed the possibility of Ukraine joining NATO, emphasizing the focus on negotiations with Russia. “The reality is the president is focused on one thing and one thing only, and that’s stopping the killing and the destruction across Ukraine and ensuring an enduring peace,” Hegseth said.

The White House has highlighted progress in negotiations, with Trump and his team actively working to end the conflict. “The president is very confident we can get it done this week,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Saturday.

Critics have expressed confusion over Trump’s approach to Putin, arguing Ukraine should be the focal point of all negotiations. “Ukraine should be center stage at all negotiations. And the European countries, our allies, our NATO allies, they have to be,” Rep. Bill Keating, D-Mass., said. “President Trump thinks he can change the world order unilaterally. And America first doesn’t mean that America is secure.”

The United States and Ukraine appear to be nearing a deal that would grant the U.S. significant rights to Ukraine’s rare earth minerals. President Trump has described this as compensation for the billions of dollars in aid the U.S. has provided to Ukraine over the past three years.