US President Donald Trump said on Thursday he believed Russian President Vladimir Putin was prepared to make a deal to end the war in Ukraine, a day before the two leaders meet in Anchorage, Alaska.
The comment came after Putin suggested the possibility of a nuclear arms agreement ahead of the summit.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and European leaders have stepped up diplomatic efforts this week to ensure that no agreement from the US-Russia talks leaves Ukraine vulnerable to future attacks.
Trump, speaking in a Fox News radio interview, said he thought Putin would move toward a settlement.
He said that if Friday’s meeting went well, he would call Zelenskiy and European leaders afterwards.
If it did not go well, he said, he would not make those calls.
Trump added that the objective of Friday’s talks was to arrange a second meeting that would include Ukraine.
He said he did not expect an immediate ceasefire.
Putin on the upcoming summit
Ahead of the Alaska summit, Putin addressed senior ministers and security officials in Moscow, saying the US was making energetic and sincere efforts to halt hostilities, resolve the crisis, and reach agreements in the interest of all parties.
He said such steps could help create long-term peace between Russia, the US, and globally—if further progress is made in controlling strategic offensive weapons.
Trump said a press conference would follow Friday’s talks, but he was uncertain if it would be joint.
He said the discussion would involve give-and-take on boundaries and land.
He described the meeting as the first step in a process, likening it to a chess game, and estimated there was a 25% chance it would not succeed.
He added that any agreement would have to be reached between Putin and Zelenskiy, stressing that he would not negotiate on their behalf.
Concerns in Kyiv and Europe
Russia currently controls around one-fifth of Ukrainian territory.
Zelenskiy and European officials fear that a deal could cement those gains, potentially rewarding Putin for more than a decade of efforts to seize Ukrainian land and encouraging further expansion into Europe.
Friday’s meeting will be the first Russia-US summit since June 2021.
It takes place during one of the most challenging periods for Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, a conflict that has killed tens of thousands and displaced millions.
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