Trump says he thinks Putin will make a deal on Ukraine
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his European allies have intensified their efforts this week to prevent any deal between the US and Russia emerging from Friday's summit that leaves Ukraine vulnerable to future attack.
"I think he's going to make a deal," Trump said in a Fox News radio interview, adding that if the meeting went well he would call Zelenskyy and European leaders afterwards and that if it went badly he would not.
The aim of Friday's talks with Putin is to set up a second meeting including Ukraine, Trump said, adding: "I don't know that we're going to get an immediate ceasefire."
Putin earlier spoke to his most senior ministers and security officials as he prepared for the meeting with Trump in Anchorage, Alaska on Friday that could shape the endgame to the largest war in Europe since World War Two.
In televised comments, Putin said that the US was "making, in my opinion, quite energetic and sincere efforts to stop the hostilities, stop the crisis and reach agreements that are of interest to all parties involved in this conflict".
This was happening, Putin said, "in order to create long-term conditions for peace between our countries, and in Europe, and in the world as a whole - if, by the next stages, we reach agreements in the area of control over strategic offensive weapons."
His comments signalled that Russia will raise the issue of nuclear arms control as part of a wide-ranging discussion on security when he sits down with Trump. A Kremlin aide said Putin and Trump would also discuss the "huge untapped potential" for Russia-US economic ties.
A senior eastern European official, who requested anonymity to discuss sensitive matters, said Putin would try to distract Trump from Ukraine at the talks by offering him possible progress on nuclear arms control or something business-related.
Activists dressed as Donald Trump (L) and Vladimir Putin pose after ripping up a map of Ukraine at a demonstration in front of the Brandenburg Gate. Picture: Sean Gallup/Getty
"We hope Trump won't be fooled by the Russians, he understands all (these) dangerous things," the official said, adding that Russia's only goal was to avoid any new sanctions and have existing sanctions lifted.
Trump said there would be a press conference after the talks but that he did not know whether it would be joint. He also said that there would be a give and take on boundaries and lands.
Russia controls around a fifth of Ukraine and Zelenskyy and the Europeans worry that a deal could cement those gains, rewarding Putin for 11 years of efforts to seize Ukrainian land and emboldening him to expand further into Europe.
An EU diplomat said it would be "scary to see how it all unfolds in the coming hours. Trump had very good calls yesterday with Europe but that was yesterday".
Seeking clarity on security guarantees
Trump had shown willingness to join the security guarantees for Ukraine at a last-ditch virtual meeting with European leaders and Zelenskyy on Wednesday, European leaders said, though he made no public mention of them afterwards.
Zelenskyy said the security guarantees had been discussed in "considerable detail" in comments after a meeting in London on Thursday with British prime minister Keir Starmer.
Friday's summit, the first Russia-US summit since June 2021, comes at one of the toughest moments for Ukraine in a war that has killed tens of thousands and displaced millions since Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022.
Speaking after Wednesday's meeting, French president Emmanuel Macron said Trump insisted that the transatlantic NATO alliance should not be part of security guarantees that would be designed to protect Ukraine from future attacks in a post-war settlement.
Macron said, however, that Trump had also said the United States and all willing allies should be part of the security guarantees.
Expanding on that, a European official told Reuters that Trump said on the call he was willing to provide some security guarantees for Europe, without spelling out what they would be.
It "felt like a big step forward", said the official, who did not want to be named.
It was not immediately clear what such guarantees could mean in practice.
On Wednesday, Trump threatened "severe consequences" if Putin does not agree to peace in Ukraine and has warned of economic sanctions if his meeting on Friday proves fruitless.
Russia is likely to resist Ukraine and Europe's demands and has previously said its stance had not changed since it was first detailed by Putin in June 2024.
— Reuters
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The Irish Sun
7 minutes ago
- The Irish Sun
Russia's twisted digs at Ukraine ahead of Alaska talks from Lavrov wearing USSR jumper to media served ‘Chicken Kiev'
RUSSIA has rolled into Alaska with a swagger - and a sneer - before Vladimir Putin even sets foot on US soil. From a USSR sweatshirt to Chicken Kyiv cutlets, Moscow has dialled up its twisted digs at Ukraine – mixing Cold War nostalgia with brazen mockery as it struts into talks that could decide the country's future. 8 Vladimir Putin during a visit to a plant of Omega-Sea enterprise in the far eastern port city of Magadan ahead of his summit with Trump Credit: Reuters 8 Russian Minister Sergei Lavrov turns up in Alaska wearing a CCCP sweatshirt Credit: X Advertisement 8 Russian journalists were also served chicken Kyiv, a deliberate jab at Ukraine Credit: Getty 8 President Donald Trump boards Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews on Friday ahead of his meeting with Putin Credit: AP Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov arrived for the summit wearing a sweatshirt screaming "CCCP" - the Russian initials for the Soviet Union - in a pointed reminder of Moscow's imperial past and its denial of Ukraine's right to exist. Once hailed in the West as a wily diplomat, the 75-year-old now channels the Kremlin's hardline swagger, doubling down on Soviet nostalgia even as Russian forces slaughter Ukrainians on the front line. Advertisement Lithuanian ex-foreign minister Gabrielius Landsbergis mocked the choice: ''Just give us half of Ukraine and we promise we will stop,' says negotiator wearing USSR sweatshirt.' The stunt plays neatly into Putin's warped narrative that Russians and Ukrainians are 'one people' – a lie that has underpinned the Kremlin's land grabs, war crimes, and the tearing down of memorials to Ukraine's suffering under Soviet rule. Read more on the summit LYING DESPOT KGB officer who trained with Putin gives chilling warning ahead of Trump talks But Lavrov's jumper wasn't the only jab. On the flight to Alaska, Russian state journalists were served chicken Kyiv – the Ukrainian dish whose name alone is enough to provoke Moscow's fury. Advertisement RT boss Margarita Simonyan gleefully posted about the menu, while pro-Putin mouthpiece Sergei Markov went further, snarling that 'Putin and Trump should make a chicken Kyiv out of Zelensky.' The trolling mood soured when Russia's press corps landed in Anchorage to find their 'modest sleeping quarters' were inside a converted ice hockey stadium. Once a Covid hospital, the venue is now lined with fold-out army beds donated by the Red Cross. 'We are living in Spartan conditions,' one reporter grumbled in a clip shared on social media, The Guardian reported. Trump says tyrant Putin's need to kill 'might be in his genes' but onslaught 'hurts his negotiations' as leaders head to Alaska for Ukraine peace summit This is Russia's brand of diplomacy – trolling, humiliation, and a smug grin. Advertisement Behind the theatrics is a clear aim: to rattle Kyiv and its allies before a summit that could shape Ukraine's fate. Zelensky has already warned that any deal without Ukraine risks disaster. He said earlier on Friday: 'The key thing is that this meeting should open up a real path toward a just peace… We are counting on America.' Donald Trump, meanwhile, is publicly playing the hard man. 'Maybe it's in his genes,' he said of Putin's appetite for killing, warning of 'very severe' consequences if the Russian leader isn't serious about peace. Advertisement 'If I weren't president, he would take over all of Ukraine… but I am president and he's not going to mess around with me.' The two leaders will lock eyes at the Elmendorf-Richardson base near Anchorage at 11.30am local time (8.30pm UK), with over 32,000 troops, air defences, and electronic jamming systems locking the place down. 8 The two leaders are set to meet today at 11.30am local time 8 The plane carrying Russian President Vladimir Putin lands at Elmendorf-Richardson Joint Base in Alaska Credit: Getty 8 A room is seen setup ahead of the US-Russia summit on Ukraine Credit: AFP Advertisement Putin's feared 'Musketeers' bodyguards will be in tow, along with the nuclear briefcase – and even his notorious 'poo suitcase' to guard his medical secrets. Anchorage locals are already protesting, furious that a man wanted for war crimes is being welcomed to US soil. Many are demanding an immediate end to the 'barbaric killing of innocent civilians' in Ukraine. Meanwhile, a former spy who trained at the same KGB school as Vladimir Putin has warned of the Kremlin strongman's powers of manipulation - and claimed the despot has already 'won' today's summit with Trump. Behind closed doors, Trump and Putin will 'thrash out sensitive matters' before facing the press. Advertisement Sources suggest Trump may dangle economic sweeteners – from access to Alaska's resources to a 'West Bank-style' model letting Russia keep its occupied Ukrainian land without redrawing borders. Putin has praised Trump's 'sincere efforts,' but Zelensky isn't buying it – calling the Russian leader's peace talk a bluff. Trump, for now, insists the stakes couldn't be higher, posting a blunt warning before boarding Air Force One: 'HIGH STAKES!!!'
Irish Independent
an hour ago
- Irish Independent
Trump heads to Alaska summit with Putin, says he wants Ukraine ceasefire 'today'
Live | Trump to greet Putin at around 11 a.m. (19pm Irish time) Russian envoy describes pre-summit mood as 'combative' Russian source says it looks as though terms will be agreed Zelenskiy, not invited, says Ukraine is 'counting on America' Trump says the killing must stop Donald Trump said he wanted to see a ceasefire "today" as he headed to Alaska on Friday for a summit with Russia's Vladimir Putin to help end the deadliest war in Europe since World War Two. 2 minutes ago U.S. President Donald Trump waves while boarding Air Force One, as he departs for Alaska to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin to negotiate for an end to the war in Ukraine, from Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, U.S., August 15, 2025. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque 9 minutes ago Trump heads to Alaska summit with Putin, says he wants Ukraine ceasefire 'today Donald Trump said he wanted to see a ceasefire "today" as he headed to Alaska on Friday for a summit with Russia's Vladimir Putin to help end the deadliest war in Europe since World War Two. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who was not invited to the talks, and his European allies fear Trump might sell out Ukraine by essentially freezing the conflict and recognising - if only informally - Russian control over one fifth of Ukraine. Trump sought to assuage such concerns as he boarded Air Force One, saying he would let Ukraine decide on any possible territorial swaps. "I'm not here to negotiate for Ukraine, I'm here to get them at a table," he said. Asked what would make the meeting a success, he told reporters: "I want to see a ceasefire rapidly... I'm not going to be happy if it's not today... I want the killing to stop." The U.S. and Russian presidents are due to meet at a Cold War-era air force base in Alaska's largest city at around 11 a.m. (1900 GMT) for their first face-to-face talks since Trump returned to the White House. Trump hopes a truce in the 3-1/2-year-old war will bolster his credentials as a global peacemaker worthy of the Nobel Peace Prize. For Putin, the summit is already a big win that he can portray as evidence that years of Western attempts to isolate Russia have unravelled and that Moscow is retaking its rightful place at the top table of international diplomacy. Russian special envoy Kirill Dmitriev described the pre-summit mood as "combative" and said the two leaders would discuss not only Ukraine but the full spectrum of bilateral relations, Russia's RIA news agency reported. Trump, who once said he would end Russia's war in Ukraine within 24 hours, conceded on Thursday it had proven a tougher task than he had expected. He said that if Friday's talks went well, quickly arranging a second, three-way summit with Zelenskiy would be even more important than his encounter with Putin. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said a three-way summit would be possible if the Alaska talks bore fruit, Interfax news agency reported. Peskov also said Friday's talks could last 6-7 hours and that aides would take part in what had been expected to be one-to-one meetings. Zelenskiy said the summit should open the way for a "just peace" and three-way talks that included him but added that Russia was continuing to wage war on Friday. A Russian ballistic missile earlier struck Ukraine's Dnipropetrovsk region, killing one person and wounding another. "It's time to end the war, and the necessary steps must be taken by Russia. We are counting on America," Zelenskiy wrote on the Telegram messaging app. 'Smart guy' The Kremlin said Putin would arrive in Alaska at 11 a.m. (1900 GMT) and would be met at his plane by Trump. "He is a smart guy, been doing it for a long time but so have I... We get along, there's a good respect level on both sides," Trump said of Putin. He also welcomed Putin's decision to bring a lot of businesspeople with him to Alaska. "But they're not doing business until we get the war settled," he said, repeating a threat of "economically severe" consequences for Russia if the summit goes badly. One source acquainted with Kremlin thinking said there were signs that Moscow could be ready to strike a compromise on Ukraine given that Putin understood Russia's economic vulnerability and costs of continuing the war. Reuters has previously reported that Putin might be willing to freeze the conflict along the front lines, provided there was a legally binding pledge not to enlarge NATO eastwards and to lift some Western sanctions. NATO has said that Ukraine's future is in the alliance. Russia, whose war economy is showing signs of strain, is vulnerable to further U.S. sanctions - and Trump has threatened tariffs on buyers of Russian crude, primarily China and India. "For Putin, economic problems are secondary to goals, but he understands our vulnerability and costs," the Russian source said. Putin this week held out the prospect of something else he knows Trump wants - a new nuclear arms control accord to replace the last surviving one, which is due to expire next February. Common ground? The source familiar with Kremlin thinking said it looked as if the two sides had been able to find some common ground. "Apparently, some terms will be agreed upon... because Trump cannot be refused, and we are not in a position to refuse (due to sanctions pressure)," said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the matter's sensitivity. Putin has said he is open to a full ceasefire but that issues of verification must first be sorted out. One compromise could be a truce in the air war. Zelenskiy has ruled out formally handing Moscow any territory and is also seeking a security guarantee backed by the United States. It is unclear how that guarantee could work. Ukrainians who spoke to Reuters in central Kyiv on Friday were not optimistic about the summit. "Nothing good will happen there, because war is war, it will not end. The territories - we're not going to give anything to anyone," said Tetiana Harkavenko, a 65-year-old cleaner. 10 minutes ago Russia's President Vladimir Putin listens to explanations as he visits a plant of Omega-Sea enterprise in the far eastern port city of Magadan on the Sea of Okhotsk, Russia, August 15, 2025. Sputnik/Alexey Nikolsky/Pool via REUTERS Russia's President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting with Magadan region's Governor Sergei Nosov as he visits the far eastern port city of Magadan on the Sea of Okhotsk, Russia, August 16, 2025. Sputnik/Alexey Nikolsky/Pool Russia's President Vladimir Putin listens to explanations as he visits a plant of Omega-Sea enterprise in the far eastern port city of Magadan on the Sea of Okhotsk, Russia, August 15, 2025. Sputnik/Alexey Nikolsky/Pool via REUTERS 14 minutes ago Zelenskiy says Russia continues attacking Ukraine ahead of summit President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Friday Russia was continuing to attack Ukraine ahead of a summitin Alaska between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, but its attempt to "show strength" with a new assault in the east had failed. "On the day of the negotiations, they also kill people. And that says a lot," Zelenskiy said on the Telegram messaging app. "The war continues. It continues precisely because there is no order, nor any indication that Moscow is preparing to end this war," he added. Earlier, Ukrainian regional officials said Russia had launched a ballistic missile into Dnipropetrovsk region in eastern Ukraine, killing one person and wounding at least one other, while a drone damaged civilian infrastructure and caused a fire in Sumy region in the northeast. The city of Dnipro is a logistics hub for Ukrainian forces, and the Dnipropetrovsk and Sumy regions border the combat zone and are regularly shelled by Russian forces. Ukraine said this week that small groups of Russian infantry had thrust some 10 kilometres (six miles) towards the main defensive line near the eastern town of Dobropillia, raising fears of a wider breakthrough that would further threaten key cities. However, officials said on Thursday that Ukrainian troops had managed to stabilise the battlefield in the area. Commenting on the matter on Friday, Zelenskiy said: "The Russian intention was to show strength ahead of Alaska but in fact, for the occupiers, this is ending with their destruction." Reuters 14 minutes ago Trump says 'nothing set in stone' on Putin meeting U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday said he did not know what would make his summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin a success, saying he wanted to see a ceasefire. Asked what would make the meeting a success, he told reporters aboard Air Force One: "I can't tell you that. I don't know. There's nothing set in stone. I want certain things. I want a ceasefire." "I want to see a ceasefire rapidly... I'm not going to be happy if it's not today," he said, adding that Europe and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy would also be involved. "I want the killing to stop." Reuters Live Blog Software Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who was not invited to the talks, and his European allies fear Trump might sell out Ukraine by essentially freezing the conflict and recognising - if only informally - Russian control over one fifth of Ukraine. Trump sought to assuage such concerns as he boarded Air Force One, saying he would let Ukraine decide on any possible territorial swaps. "I'm not here to negotiate for Ukraine, I'm here to get them at a table," he said. Asked what would make the meeting a success, he told reporters: "I want to see a ceasefire rapidly... I'm not going to be happy if it's not today... I want the killing to stop." The U.S. and Russian presidents are due to meet at a Cold War-era air force base in Alaska's largest city at around 11 a.m. (1900 GMT) for their first face-to-face talks since Trump returned to the White House. Trump hopes a truce in the 3-1/2-year-old war will bolster his credentials as a global peacemaker worthy of the Nobel Peace Prize. For Putin, the summit is already a big win that he can portray as evidence that years of Western attempts to isolate Russia have unravelled and that Moscow is retaking its rightful place at the top table of international diplomacy. Russian special envoy Kirill Dmitriev described the pre-summit mood as "combative" and said the two leaders would discuss not only Ukraine but the full spectrum of bilateral relations, Russia's RIA news agency reported. Trump, who once said he would end Russia's war in Ukraine within 24 hours, conceded on Thursday it had proven a tougher task than he had expected. He said that if Friday's talks went well, quickly arranging a second, three-way summit with Zelenskiy would be even more important than his encounter with Putin. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said a three-way summit would be possible if the Alaska talks bore fruit, Interfax news agency reported. Peskov also said Friday's talks could last 6-7 hours and that aides would take part in what had been expected to be one-to-one meetings. Zelenskiy said the summit should open the way for a "just peace" and three-way talks that included him but added that Russia was continuing to wage war on Friday. A Russian ballistic missile earlier struck Ukraine's Dnipropetrovsk region, killing one person and wounding another. "It's time to end the war, and the necessary steps must be taken by Russia. We are counting on America," Zelenskiy wrote on the Telegram messaging app. The Kremlin said Putin would arrive in Alaska at 11 a.m. (1900 GMT) and would be met at his plane by Trump. "He is a smart guy, been doing it for a long time but so have I... We get along, there's a good respect level on both sides," Trump said of Putin. He also welcomed Putin's decision to bring a lot of businesspeople with him to Alaska. "But they're not doing business until we get the war settled," he said, repeating a threat of "economically severe" consequences for Russia if the summit goes badly. One source acquainted with Kremlin thinking said there were signs that Moscow could be ready to strike a compromise on Ukraine given that Putin understood Russia's economic vulnerability and costs of continuing the war. Reuters has previously reported that Putin might be willing to freeze the conflict along the front lines, provided there was a legally binding pledge not to enlarge NATO eastwards and to lift some Western sanctions. NATO has said that Ukraine's future is in the alliance. Russia, whose war economy is showing signs of strain, is vulnerable to further U.S. sanctions - and Trump has threatened tariffs on buyers of Russian crude, primarily China and India. "For Putin, economic problems are secondary to goals, but he understands our vulnerability and costs," the Russian source said. Putin this week held out the prospect of something else he knows Trump wants - a new nuclear arms control accord to replace the last surviving one, which is due to expire next February. The source familiar with Kremlin thinking said it looked as if the two sides had been able to find some common ground. "Apparently, some terms will be agreed upon... because Trump cannot be refused, and we are not in a position to refuse (due to sanctions pressure)," said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the matter's sensitivity. Putin has said he is open to a full ceasefire but that issues of verification must first be sorted out. One compromise could be a truce in the air war. Zelenskiy has ruled out formally handing Moscow any territory and is also seeking a security guarantee backed by the United States. It is unclear how that guarantee could work. Ukrainians who spoke to Reuters in central Kyiv on Friday were not optimistic about the summit. "Nothing good will happen there, because war is war, it will not end. The territories - we're not going to give anything to anyone," said Tetiana Harkavenko, a 65-year-old cleaner.
The Journal
an hour ago
- The Journal
Trump will meet Putin 'at the plane' as Russian leader arrives for talks in Alaska
US PRESIDENT DONALD Trump has insisted he will not be intimidated by Russian leader Vladimir Putin as the two meet in Alaska later today for high-stakes talks on the future of Ukraine. 'I am president, and he's not going to mess around with me,' Trump told reporters, adding he would know 'within minutes' whether the meeting would be a success. 'If it's a bad meeting, it'll end very quickly. If it's good, we're going to end up getting peace in the pretty near future.' Trump also shared a short post on his social media platform Truth Social ahead of his flight to Alaska, simply saying: 'HIGH STAKES!' Truth Social Truth Social The Kremlin has said that Putin is due to land in Alaska at 11am local time (7pm Irish time) and that Trump will meet him as he lands. Advertisement 'At exactly 11:00 local time (1900 GMT), the president is scheduled to land. President Trump will meet him at the plane,' the Kremlin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov told state media ahead of Putin's departure to Alaska. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who was not invited to the talks, urged Trump to push Russia to halt its invasion. 'It is time to end the war, and the necessary steps must be taken by Russia. We are counting on America,' he wrote on social media today. Trump said no agreement would be finalised without Zelenskyy's involvement and floated a three-way summit 'immediately afterwards' in Alaska. Trump also spoke on the phone today with Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko, a close ally of Putin, the country's state media reported. The one-on-one meeting with Putin, his first in a Western country since launching the invasion in 2022, is taking place at Elmendorf Air Force Base in Anchorage. The talks are set to begin at 11.30am local time (7.30pm Irish time). Trump had boasted that he could end the war within 24 hours of returning to the White House in January. Related Reads Trump and Putin are meeting in Alaska today - what does each side want? Today's Russia-US Alaska summit puts the fate of Ukraine 'in Trump and Putin's hands' But his calls to Putin and intense pressure on Zelenskyy to accept concessions have failed to move the Russian leader, and Trump has warned of 'very severe consequences' if Putin keeps snubbing his overtures. Zelenskyy met with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in London to discuss the summit. Starmer vowed solidarity, a day after Zelenskyy received support from a number of European leaders at a conference in Berlin. Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz urged Putin to seize the 'opportunity' of a ceasefire. 'The goal must be a summit also attended by President Zelenskyy' where 'a ceasefire must be agreed', he said in a statement, adding that Trump 'can now take a major step toward peace'. Russia has made major gains on the ground ahead of the summit. Yesterday, Ukraine issued a mandatory evacuation of families with children from the eastern town of Druzhkivka and four nearby villages near an area where Russia made a swift breakthrough. Additional reporting from Andrew Walsh
