US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a CNBC interview on 19 August that he is confident Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will hold a face-to-face meeting, a step he framed as a potential breakthrough in efforts to end the war that began in 2022. “My sense is that both sides are ready for this conflict to end,” Bessent told the network, adding that recent diplomatic contacts suggest momentum toward formal peace talks. The Treasury chief did not give a date or location for the prospective meeting but said he believed conditions for direct negotiations are “coming together.” Bessent’s remarks followed a summit in Alaska earlier in the week, where President Donald Trump showcased U.S. military capabilities before holding a call with Putin. Bessent characterized the Alaska event as a calculated demonstration of strength intended to encourage Moscow to engage, and said it helped clear the way for a possible Putin-Zelensky encounter.