Trump hints Putin ready for Ukraine peace but says deal may need second summit
US President Donald Trump has suggested Russian leader Vladimir Putin is prepared to end the war in Ukraine, but signalled that any lasting peace would probably require a follow-up summit involving Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
Speaking ahead of his first meeting with Putin in Alaska on Friday, Trump said he believed both Putin and Zelenskiy were willing to make peace. “We’ll see if they get along,” he told reporters at the White House, while playing down expectations of an immediate ceasefire.
Trump floated the idea of a second round of talks, possibly bringing in European leaders, but added: “Maybe we will, maybe we won’t, I don’t know yet.”
Putin, preparing for the meeting in Anchorage, told senior ministers and security officials that Washington was making “energetic and sincere” efforts to halt the fighting and reach a settlement beneficial to all sides. He indicated nuclear arms control would be part of the agenda, alongside broader security and economic issues.
A Kremlin aide said Putin would highlight the “huge untapped potential” for US–Russia trade, while one senior Eastern European official warned that the Russian leader might use such offers to distract Trump from Ukraine. “We hope Trump won’t be deceived,” the official said, stressing Moscow’s desire to see sanctions eased.
Trump likened the summit to a “chess game”, describing it as a prelude to a more decisive second meeting. He insisted any final agreement would be between Putin and Zelenskiy, saying: “I’m not going to negotiate their deal.”
European leaders and Kyiv fear a settlement could legitimise Russia’s control over roughly 20% of Ukraine, gained over more than a decade of military and political pressure. French President Emmanuel Macron said Trump had shown interest in joining post-war security guarantees for Ukraine, though he had ruled out making NATO part of such arrangements.
The Alaska talks mark the first US–Russia summit since June 2021 and come at a critical moment for Ukraine, where the war has killed tens of thousands and displaced millions since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. Trump has warned of “severe consequences” if Putin refuses to agree to peace and has threatened further sanctions should the summit fail.
Moscow has maintained its position since Putin set out its demands in June 2024, making a breakthrough uncertain despite the diplomatic flurry.
Reuters
