US President Donald Trump on Thursday announced plans for a second meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, signalling his intention to push for a lasting resolution to the Ukraine conflict.
The first encounter between Trump and Putin is scheduled for Friday in Alaska, where the leaders will hold a one-on-one meeting followed by a joint press conference, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed.
Speaking ahead of the summit, Trump indicated that the discussions could lay the groundwork for a “quick second meeting” involving Zelensky, following pressure from US allies to ensure Ukraine’s voice is included in any future agreements.
“I think President Putin will make peace, I think President Zelenskyy will make peace,” Trump told reporters at the White House.
“We’ll see if they get along,” he added.
POSSIBLE CONSEQUENCES IF CEASEFIRE FAILS
Trump warned that ‘very severe consequences‘ could follow if Russia failed to commit to a ceasefire during the talks. However, he did not reveal the detailed nature of these consequences.
Despite the looming threat of punitive measures, Trump tempered expectations, downplaying the chances of a ceasefire emerging from Friday’s summit. Instead, he hinted that a subsequent meeting — potentially including Ukraine — would be crucial to reaching a long-term resolution.
“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 Zelenskyy, myself, and maybe we’ll bring some of the European leaders along. Maybe not. I don’t know that,” Trump said.
The announcement comes as Ukrainian President Zelensky and his European allies have intensified efforts this week to ensure any deal emerging from the US-Russia summit does not compromise Ukraine’s security.
They are wary of agreements that could leave Ukraine vulnerable to future attacks and have signalled that a robust negotiation process must include Kyiv at every stage.
PUTIN PRAISES US PEACE EFFORTS
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin acknowledged Trump’s efforts, describing the US administration’s approach as “quite energetic and sincere” in order to halt hostilities. In a video released by the Kremlin, Putin said the Trump team was striving to “reach agreements that are of interest to all parties involved.”
Putin also suggested that long-term peace between Russia, the US, Europe, and the broader world could be achieved through agreements on nuclear arms control.
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With inputs from agencies