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- Trump indicates the upcoming meeting with Zelensky will be more significant.
- Trump minimizes discussions of a ceasefire stemming from the Alaska summit.
- Putin commends Trump’s “sincere efforts” to bring an end to the Ukraine conflict.
WASHINGTON/MOSCOW/KYIV: U.S. President-elect Donald Trump expressed his belief that Russian President Vladimir Putin is now open to ending the Ukraine war.
Just a day before his highly anticipated meeting with Putin in Alaska, Trump told reporters that peace might require another encounter, this time including Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky.
This comes as Ukraine and its European allies are ramping up efforts this week to ensure no agreement between the U.S. and Russia during Friday’s Alaska summit leaves Ukraine susceptible to future aggression.
“I think President Putin wants peace, and I believe President Zelensky does too,” Trump stated at the White House. “We’ll see if they can work it out.”
He dismissed early rumors of a ceasefire coming out of the summit and hinted at a second, more comprehensive meeting with additional leaders.
“I believe this initial meeting will set the stage for a second one. I’ll be meeting with Putin, Zelensky, and perhaps some European leaders—though I’m not certain about that yet.”
Meanwhile, Putin has been consulting with top officials as he prepares for his meeting with Trump in Anchorage, which could influence the course of Europe’s most significant war since World War II.
In televised remarks, Putin said the U.S. is actively and genuinely working to halt the fighting, resolve the crisis, and reach mutually beneficial agreements.
“This effort aims to establish long-lasting peace between our nations, across Europe, and worldwide—especially regarding strategic arms control,” Putin added.
These comments suggest Russia intends to press nuclear arms control issues during the talks. An official close to the Kremlin mentioned that discussions will also explore expanding economic ties between Russia and the U.S.
One Eastern European official, speaking anonymously, warned that Putin may try to divert Trump’s focus from Ukraine during negotiations by advancing possible progress on nuclear arms or other business interests.
“We hope Trump isn’t duped,” the official said. “Russia’s main goal remains avoiding new sanctions and removing existing ones.”
‘Like a chess game’
Trump indicated there would be a press conference after the talks, though he wasn’t certain if it would be joint. He also mentioned during an earlier interview with Fox News that negotiations might involve bargaining over borders and territory.
“This meeting is like a chess game,” Trump explained. “It sets the foundation for a subsequent meeting, though there’s about a 25% chance it might not go well.”
He added that the success of the negotiations would depend on Putin and Zelensky, emphasizing he wouldn’t be negotiating their deal directly.
Russia controls around 20% of Ukraine, and Zelensky along with European leaders worry that any agreement might legitimize Russia’s territorial gains, rewarding Putin after years of land grabs and potentially encouraging further expansion into Europe.
An EU diplomat, requesting anonymity, expressed concern about the unfolding developments, noting that Trump’s dealings with Europe yesterday were promising but not guaranteed to continue.
Trump had previously shown openness to providing security guarantees for Ukraine during a virtual meeting with European leaders and Zelensky on Wednesday, though he did not publicly commit to specific measures.
The summit, the first U.S.-Russia meeting since June 2021, comes at a difficult time for Ukraine, which has suffered heavy casualties and displacement amid the ongoing conflict sparked by Russia’s full invasion in February 2022.
After Wednesday’s talks, French President Emmanuel Macron reported that Trump had said NATO should not be part of any security assurances for Ukraine after the war.
Nevertheless, Trump also advocated for the U.S. and allies to be part of any security guarantees, Macron added.
Expanding on that, a European official told Reuters that Trump indicated a willingness to offer some security assurances to Europe without detailing what those might involve.
“It felt like a big step forward,” the official said, preferring to remain unnamed.
It remains unclear what practical implications such guarantees could have.
On Wednesday, Trump threatened “severe consequences” if Putin refused peace in Ukraine and warned of sanctions if Friday’s meeting did not produce results.
Russia is expected to resist Ukraine’s and Europe’s demands and has maintained its stance since Putin first outlined it in June 2024.
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