On the eve of his Friday summit with Vladimir Putin, United States President Donald Trump said he believes the Russian President is ready to end the war in Ukraine, but added that achieving peace would likely require a second meeting that includes Ukraine’s President Zelensky. Russia launched a military campaign in Ukraine in February of 2022 and if Putin and Zelensky meet to talk ceasefire, it would be the first time since the Ukraine war started.
While Donald Trump said he was hopeful about the Ukraine war reaching its end ahead of his talks with Putin in Alaska, he downplayed immediate ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his European allies have intensified their efforts this week to prevent any deal between the US and Russia emerging from Friday’s summit in Alaska that leaves Ukraine vulnerable to future attack.
“I think President Putin will make peace, I think President Zelensky will make peace. We’ll see if they get along,” Donald Trump said.
Speculating involvement of more European leaders, Donald Trump said, “I think it’s going to be a good meeting, but the more important meeting will be the second meeting that we’re having. We’re going to have a meeting with President Putin, President Zelenskiy, myself, and maybe we’ll bring some of the European leaders along. Maybe not. I don’t know that.”
More details are being added
