U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday he wants Friday’s summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin to “set the table” for a future meeting between the two leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, which Trump is aiming to hold “shortly.”
All eyes will be on whether Trump and Putin’s meeting in Alaska can lead to an end to the war in Ukraine. Canada and Europe have been pushing to ensure Ukraine is represented in any peace talks and that the country’s territorial integrity is respected.
Trump has been lowering expectations for Friday’s summit ever since it was announced last week, including the prospect of reaching any kind of ceasefire or lasting peace deal with Putin. He said Thursday he is already looking toward a second meeting that includes Zelenskyy.
“I would say that tomorrow, all I want to do is set the table for the next meeting, which should happen shortly … I’d like to see it actually happen, maybe in Alaska,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.
“I think it’s going to be a good meeting, but the more important meeting will be the second one we’re planning. We’re going to have a meeting with President Putin, President Zelenskyy, myself, and maybe some European leaders. Maybe not. We’ll see.”
Trump repeated his claim that he will know “within the first two minutes, three minutes, four minutes, five minutes” if the meeting with Putin will be constructive or not.
He also vowed to stand firm against Putin’s demands.
“If If I weren’t president, he would much rather take over all of Ukraine,” he said. “But I am president, and he’s not going to mess around with me.”
Russia currently controls around a fifth of Ukraine’s territory, and Zelenskyy and the Europeans worry that a deal set by Trump and Putin could cement those gains.
Trump has acknowledged the possibility of “land-swapping” under a future deal, but has also promised to get some territory back for Ukraine.
Following a meeting Thursday with top government officials on the summit, Putin said in a short video released by the Kremlin that the Trump administration was making “quite energetic and sincere efforts to stop the hostilities” and to “reach agreements that are of interest to all parties involved.”
Putin also suggested that “long-term conditions of peace between our countries, and in Europe, and in the world as a whole,” could be reached under an agreement with the U.S. on nuclear arms control.
Earlier Thursday, Trump told Fox News in a radio interview there was a 25 per cent chance that the summit will fail, but also floated the idea of including Zelenskyy in a second meeting if Friday’s talks are successful.
He said in the interview and to reporters in the Oval Office he would be willing to stay in Alaska longer if that second meeting can come together quickly.
“I think President Putin will make peace, I think President Zelenskyy will make peace,” Trump said at the White House. “We’ll see if they get along.”
Zelenskyy has said he is willing to meet with Putin if he shows signs that Russia is serious about ending its invasion. Yet he has also pointed out that fighting and Russian bombings in Ukraine continue, and current intelligence suggests Moscow isn’t preparing to wind down its military operations.
“So far, there is no indication whatsoever that the Russians have received signals to prepare for a post-war situation,” Zelenskyy said in a social media update on Monday. “If someone is preparing for peace, this is not what he does.”
Prime Minister Mark Carney has joined European leaders in advancing Ukraine’s interests ahead of the U.S.-Russia summit while also praising Trump for leading efforts to end the three-and-a-half-year war.
A Wednesday statement from the Prime Minister’s Office after Carney participated in a virtual summit hosted by leaders of Germany, France and the United Kingdom — which included Zelenskyy and U.S. Vice-President JD Vance — said the leaders agreed to “shared principles, including that decisions on the future of Ukraine must be made by Ukrainians.”
The leaders also agreed that any future peace deal must ensure Ukraine’s long-term security and uphold that “international borders cannot be changed by force.”
Carney reaffirmed those points in direct calls with Zelenskyy and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer earlier this week.
Trump briefed Zelenskyy, Carney and European leaders on the upcoming summit with Putin in a call on Wednesday. He has promised to brief them again following the meeting.
The Ukrainian Canadian Congress said Thursday that it will also be watching Friday’s meeting closely.
“What is lawfully Ukraine’s is not for the Russians to take, nor for anyone to give away,” the group said in a statement.
“The Ukrainian people deserve our full and unequivocal support.”
—with files from Reuters
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