Trump and Putin last met in person at the August 2025 Alaska summit focused on Ukraine, which produced no agreement. As of September 2026, diplomacy continues through phone calls—including a constructive September 8 discussion—and U.S. envoy visits by Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff to Moscow and Kyiv exploring peace proposals. Russia has signaled stalled progress from prior understandings and battlefield advances, while the U.S. emphasizes renewed mediation efforts without announcing a follow-up bilateral summit. Trader assessments of an in-person meeting by year-end or specific deadlines reflect uncertainty over whether Ukraine talks advance to the presidential level, ongoing territorial and security disputes, and competing priorities in U.S. foreign policy.