White House is already downplaying expectation for Trump-Putin meeting painting it as only a step toward peace
The president and his Russian counterpart are set to meet Friday for a hastily arranged sit-down in Alaska, giving Putin the honor of being welcomed onto American territory by an American president and bringing an end to the international isolation he has faced since launching the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
On Monday, Trump said he may well know whether Putin is truly interested in reaching an agreement to end the war he started within just two minutes of sitting down with the Russian leader.
Speaking to reporters during a press conference in the White House briefing room, he said: 'I may say, 'lots of luck, keep fighting,' or I may say we can make a deal.'
That deal, according to Trump, could involve swapping parcels of land between Russian and Ukrainian control in exchange for peace. It's an idea that has also been broached by NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte as well. But Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has rejected such an option on multiple occasions.
A White House official who spoke to Politico ahead of the summit said Putin, who met with Trump envoy Steve Witkoff last week, asked for the meeting with the president and suggested a solution to the conflict. However, White House officials are now saying that the meeting might not mean a concrete deal for peace.
'It may not be a viable plan, but there was something on paper, which shows progress,' the official said.
The official added that Trump saw Putin's willingness to meet as 'progress' and is willing to 'hear him out,' while a second White House official said Trump would use the meeting to 'gauge how serious Putin is about peace.'
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt similarly appeared to lower expectations when she was asked about Trump's outlook on the sit-down, calling it 'a listening exercise for the President' and acknowledging that Zelensky's absence would make it difficult if not impossible for any real solution to the conflict to emerge from the bilateral talks.
'Look, only one party that's involved in this war is going to be present, and so this is for the President to go and to get ... a more firm and better understanding of of how we can hopefully bring this war to an end,' she said.
'The President inherited this conflict, and he is determined to end it. And it's a very complex and complicated situation.'
Leavitt also added that Trump ' hopes in the future there can be a trilateral meeting' between him, Putin and Zelensky to 'finally bring this conflict to an end' while claiming that Trump has 'really used every lever' and 'taken every measure to to achieve peace through a diplomatic solution.'
'I think the President of the United States getting in the room with the President of Russia, sitting face to face, rather than speaking over the telephone, will give this president the best indication of how to end this war and where this is headed,' she said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
27 minutes ago
- The Independent
Trump says Putin talks ended with no deal
Talks between Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin in Anchorage, Alaska, concluded without a firm agreement on ending the three-year war in Ukraine. Following the nearly three-hour meeting, Putin expressed optimism, claiming 'agreements' were reached and referring to Ukraine as a 'brotherly nation' that Russia wants to help end the conflict. Donald Trump, however, contradicted Putin's claims, stating firmly: 'There's no deal until there's a deal,' and emphasised that any future accord would require assent from the Ukrainian government and NATO allies. Trump described the meeting as 'very productive' with 'many points' agreed upon, suggesting a 'good chance' of a future accord, but stressed that some 'big ones' were still unresolved. The Mayor of Kyiv, Vitali Klitschko, conceded that Ukraine might have to 'give up territory' as a temporary solution for peace, despite Russia currently occupying about a fifth of Ukrainian land.
Daily Mirror
27 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
CHRISTOPHER BUCKTIN: Superman star joins Trump team notorious for human rights abuses
A former Superman star is ditching his cape to play sidekick to Donald Trump's most notorious goon squad, Christopher Bucktin writes, turning his legacy into a publicity stunt Christopher Bucktin is an award-winning journalist with more than 25 years of experience, the majority of which he has spent at the Daily Mirror. A former Press Gazette Reporter of the Year, he has held senior roles including Head of Features, Head of Showbusiness, and Head of Content, before relocating to the United States in 2013 to become US Editor. Renowned for breaking agenda-setting exclusives, he has reported from the front lines of America's biggest news stories, led investigations into the Trump administration, and exposed key details in the Jeffrey Epstein case. His career highlights include securing the first interview with the Peru Two inside prison, becoming the first journalist to descend into drug lord El Chapo's escape tunnel, and spearheading coverage of Prince Andrew's ties to Epstein. He holds weekly columns in the Daily Mirror, Daily Star and Reach's regional titles. Former Superman turned fading TV actor Dean Cain is ditching his cape to play sidekick to Donald Trump's most notorious goon squad. The 1990s heartthrob announced he's joining ICE - the agency behind family separations, aggressive raids, and a long record of human rights abuses - after casually sharing one of its recruitment videos online. Once lauded for fighting fictional villains on prime-time television, Cain now seems eager to lend his name and face to a real-world operation widely condemned for terrorising immigrant communities. Where Superman stood for justice, Cain now appears to cheerlead for intimidation, turning his legacy into little more than a publicity stunt for a deeply polarising agency. Elsewhere, two Californian women allegedly tried to carjack a couple but stalled - literally - when they realised the getaway car had a manual gearbox. Unable to work the clutch, they solved the problem by kidnapping the husband to drive for them, accidentally turning their crime spree into a chauffeured tour. Over in Wisconsin, office pranks took a dark turn when 35-year-old Joseph Ralph Ross admitted to spiking his co-worker's Coke with Gorilla Super Glue. His plot was foiled when she hid a camera under her desk. The sticky scheme, caught in full HD, earned Ross a felony conviction for 'putting foreign objects in edibles.' The two shared an office at the Wisconsin Exposition Centre, though they clearly did not share a sense of humour. Meanwhile, Ohio lawmakers want to shame job "ghosters." House Bill 395 would create an online registry of applicants who skip interviews without notice. The state says it'll protect employers and unemployment funds, but critics warn it could backfire on job seekers. Nearly 50,000 Ohioans filed for benefits last week, proving ghosting is alive and well. When most widows keep a locket or a photo, West Virginia nurse Angelica Radevski went for something… a little more dermal. After her husband TJ died suddenly at 55, the 35-year-old mum decided the best way to remember him wasn't flowers or ashes — but a framed patch of his actual tattooed skin. Instead of wearing her heart on her sleeve, she literally put her husband's sleeve on the wall. It's not everyone's idea of home décor. A 60-year-old man landed in hospital after following ChatGPT's "diet advice" to swap salt for sodium bromide - a pesticide ingredient. He used it for three months before paranoia and hallucinations set in, convinced his neighbour was poisoning him. Turns out, the culprit was his own cooking.
Reuters
27 minutes ago
- Reuters
World leaders react to Trump-Putin summit reaching no deal on Ukraine
Aug 16 (Reuters) - Following are reactions from world leaders on Saturday to the summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, which did not resolve Moscow's war in Ukraine. NORWEGIAN FOREIGN MINISTER ESPEN BARTH EIDE: "President Putin of Russia reiterated known arguments, such as emphasising the so-called 'root causes' of the war, which is code for the Russian justification for the illegal invasion of Ukraine. Our view is clear: it is important we must continue to put pressure on Russia, and even increase it, to give the clear signal to Russia that it must pay the price. "We must listen to Ukraine's wishes and needs. We know that President Putin wants to split Europe and the United States. With all our allies, we must do everything we can to avoid that. I am optimistic that we can achieve that, but we must be clear that this is a clear motivation for President Putin... "I don't believe it will have any effect on the battlefield right now. Too little concrete information has come out, and we see no movement at all in the Russian position." CZECH DEFENCE MINISTER JANA CERNOCHOVA, ON X: "The Trump-Putin meeting in Alaska did not bring any fundamental progress towards ending the war in Ukraine, but it did confirm that Putin is not looking for peace, but an opportunity to weaken the unity of the West and spread his propaganda. He is trying to prolong the conflict in order to achieve the maximum of his goals in terms of Russian expansion. Regardless of the human casualties and the devastation of Ukrainian cities. "The meeting was nevertheless important, among other things, because it reveals the true motives and mindset of Vladimir Putin. "For us, it follows that it is necessary to maintain the cohesion of the West and persist in supporting Ukraine so that any agreement on a ceasefire or peace is not only based on Russian notes. This is in our vital interest." HUNGARIAN FOREIGN MINISTER PETER SZIJJARTO, ON X: "The world is a safer place as long as there is US–Russia dialogue at the highest level. Credit to both presidents for making this summit happen. Today once again confirmed: the war in Ukraine will not be settled on the battlefield, but at the negotiating table. Peace can only be achieved through negotiations, dialogue, and keeping diplomatic channels open. "Hungary has stood by this for 3.5 years, unlike Brussels and pro-war European politicians."
