Washington “Almost immediately” following his impending summit with Russian leader Vladimir Putin in Alaska, President Donald Trump stated that he would like to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Trump, speaking to reporters on Aug.13 at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., also said there would be “very severe consequences” if Putin does not agree to end the Ukraine war when they meet on Aug. 15. In the past, he has threatened to impose tariffs and penalties on Russia if Putin does not put a stop to the conflict.
Trump claimed that the meeting with the Russian president would be “setting the table” for a potential meeting between Putin and Zelenskyy, which he may also attend.
Two days prior to Trump’s one-on-one meeting with Putin in Alaska, the president participated in a teleconference with Zelenskyy and European leaders earlier on August 13. Kyiv and its allies are worried that a peace agreement that Trump is attempting to pressure Moscow into signing could result in the loss of important land that Russia has acquired during its three-year war on Ukraine.
“I would rate it a 10,” Trump said while discussing the virtual discussion with reporters. “Very friendly.”
Zelenskyy was in Berlin for the virtual conference hosted by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz that included the leaders of Finland, France, Great Britain, Italy, Poland, the European Union and NATO. The part that featured Trump was also anticipated to include Vice President JD Vance.
“They are great people who want to see a deal done,” Trump wrote earlier on Aug. 13 on Truth Social.
On August 15, Trump will meet with Putin in Anchorage, Alaska, without Zelenskyy or any European leaders present, who were supposed to caution Trump against caving in to Putin’s demands.
Trump said he was “a little bothered” by Zelenskyy’s claim that doing so would violate his nation’s constitution and brought up the prospect of a “land swap” this week, in which Ukraine would cede territory to Russia as part of a possible peace agreement.
At the time, he promised not to make a deal without Zelenskyy. However, European leaders brought their resistance to such a scenario home after their virtual conference with Trump.
Following a separate meeting with Zelenskyy and Vance, German Prime Minister Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron, and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer issued a joint statement saying that a peace deal cannot be mediated without Ukraine.
Zelenskyy claimed in an X post that the call with Trump covered frameworks for potential future discussions and meetings. He reiterated that discussions regarding Ukraine and Europe “must be conducted together with Ukraine and Europe” and advocated for robust security assurances.
“Pressuring Russia is effective. Zelenskyy wrote, “There is no alternative to peace.”
Following Trump’s growing irritation with the Russian leader’s refusal to stop fighting in Ukraine, the White House has attempted to lower expectations surrounding his meeting with Putin. Putin sought the meeting, which marks his first encounter with a U.S. president since 2021, according to the White House.
On August 12, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated, “This is a listening exercise for the president.” “This is for the president to go and to get a more firm and better understanding of how we can hopefully bring this war to an end.”
More information has been added to this article.
Joey Garrison may be reached on X @joeygarrison.
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