US President Donald Trump on Thursday remarked that Russian President Vladimir Putin “won’t mess around” with him, just hours before the two leaders meet in Alaska for high-stakes talks aimed at securing a ceasefire in Ukraine.
The summit, set to take place on Friday at a US military base, will mark Trump’s first face-to-face meeting with Putin since 2018. Speaking at the White House on Thursday, Trump acknowledged that Moscow wants full territorial control of Ukraine but insisted that such ambitions will be checked while he is in office.
“I think President Putin would like to see a deal. If I weren’t president, he would take over all of Ukraine. It’s a war that should never have happened… but I am president, and he is not going to mess around with me,” Trump said.
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The United States president revealed he is considering inviting European leaders to a second round of talks, which could also include Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He told Fox News Radio that tomorrow’s meeting is designed to pave the way for direct negotiations between Putin and Zelenskyy, with three possible venues already under consideration.
Trump expressed optimism about the outcome, saying he was confident both leaders “will make peace.” Friday’s programme will feature a one-on-one meeting, a bilateral lunch involving both delegations, and a joint press conference, according to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt.
Putin, for his part, has praised Trump’s “sincere efforts” to end the war, telling Kremlin officials that Washington is making “quite energetic and sincere efforts to stop the fighting.”
The diplomatic push follows UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s meeting with Zelenskyy in London on Thursday, where the two leaders embraced warmly outside Downing Street before holding talks.
