Ukraine's fate hangs in balance as Trump engages Putin in a high-stakes game behind closed doors

Economic Times

21 hours ago

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More about Trump-Putin summit
U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin have begun face-to-face talks in Alaska for a high-stakes summit that could determine the trajectory of the war in Ukraine and the fate of European security.Trump's allies have cast the U.S. president as a heavyweight negotiator who can find a way to bring the slaughter to a close, something he used to boast he could do quickly. For Putin, a summit with Trump offers a long-sought opportunity to try to negotiate a deal that would cement Russia's gains, block Kyiv's bid to join the NATO military alliance and eventually pull Ukraine back into Moscow's orbit.There are significant risks for Trump: By bringing Putin onto U.S. soil, the president is giving Russia's leader the validation he desires after his ostracization following his invasion of Ukraine 3 1/2 years ago. Any success is far from assured, especially as Russia and Ukraine remain far apart in their demands for peace.Trump joked in interview that he might start liking Hillary Clinton again It's because the former secretary of state said she'd nominate Trump for a Nobel Peace Prize herself if he negotiates an end to Russia's war on Ukraine without Ukraine having to give up territory."Well, that was very nice," Trump said when asked about Clinton's comment during an in-flight interview with Fox News Channel. "I may have to start liking her again."Trump and Clinton were presidential rivals in 2016 and have had a contentious relationship. Trump has also been angling to be awarded the prestigious peace prize.The full Fox News interview is set to air later Friday.Trump told interviewer he won't be happy unless he gets a ceasefire Interviewed by Bret Baier of Fox News Channel aboard Air Force One as he flew to Alaska, Trump said he'd like to walk away from the meeting with a ceasefire.He also said he'd like a second meeting on Russia's war in Ukraine."I wouldn't be thrilled if I didn't get it," Trump said of a halt to hostilities between the countries. He said everyone tells him he won't get a ceasefire until a second meeting."So, we'll see what happens. I'm going to be, I won't be happy if I walk away without some form of a ceasefire," he said.World leaders take no questions as they start their meeting The two leaders were seated in a room with their aides in front of a blue backdrop that had the words "Pursuing Peace" printed on it.Trump and Putin were seated in the middle of the chair arranged in a horseshoe, with a small table between them with drinking glasses and paper.They didn't take any questions but Trump said, "Thank you" to reporters who were briefly in the room.Trump and Putin arrive at meeting location The two leaders' motorcade made the short drive to a building on the base where they're expected to meet and hold a news conference later.Trump, Putin ride together in 'The Beast' Both leaders got into the backseat of Trump's armored presidential limousine, chatting with each other and smiling as they got situated.Military jets designed during Cold War fly over Trump and Putin before summit President Donald Trump greeted Russian leader Vladimir Putin at an air base in Alaska on Friday as a squadron of U.S. stealth military planes designed during the Cold War in part for use in a possible conflict with the Soviet Union flew overhead.As Trump and Putin shook hands at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson outside Anchorage, F-22s and B2 bombers soared above. Neither plane entered active service until after the Cold War had ended but their design and development began during the 1970s and 1980s when the U.S.-Soviet rivalry was at its height.The presence of the planes during the red carpet welcome afforded to Putin by summit host Trump may have been intended to remind the Russian leader of U.S. military might as the pair head in to talks focused on Russia's war with Ukraine.Trump, Putin shake hands, again Both leaders stood alongside each other, shaking hands again, appearing to exchange words and ignoring shouted questions from reporters on site.Trump and Putin meet face to face The two men shook hands and smiled warmly as they greeted each other on the tarmac at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson.Russian media say Putin will use Russian-made limousine in Alaska Russian state news agencies Tass and RIA Novosti reported Friday that President Vladimir Putin will use Aurus, a high-end Russian-made limousine, in Alaska.The agencies posted footage of a black limousine with Russian license plates and a small Russian flag attached to the hood driving around the tarmac.Putin brought Aurus on foreign trips before, and even gifted one to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un last year.Lavrov and Ushakov to join Putin in his 'three-on-three' meeting with Trump Russian state news agency RIA Novosti quoted Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying that Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Putin's foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov will join the Russian leader during his "three-on-three" meeting with Trump, Rubio and Witkoff.Lavrov and Ushakov took part in the first in-person Russia-US talks in February this year.Putin arrives in the US for the first time in a decade The Russian president hasn't been to the United States since a 2015 meeting at the U.N. General Assembly in New York.The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant on war crimes accusations for Putin in 2023. But the U.S. isn't a member of that global body, so officials are under no obligation to arrest him.Excluded from Trump-Putin summit, Zelenskyy says he hopes for ″strong position from the US' Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed, during a video address on Friday, his hope for a "strong position from the U.S." ahead of talks between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska."Everyone wants an honest end to the war. Ukraine is ready to work as productively as possible to end the war, and we hope for a strong position from the U.S.," Zelenskyy said.The Ukrainian leader also stressed that Russia "is still killing people" despite the upcoming negotiations."The war continues and it continues precisely because there is no order, nor any signals from Moscow that it is preparing to end this war," he added.Trump meets Alaska officials aboard plane as he waits for Putin to arrive Trump has yet to leave Air Force One.He's meeting aboard the aircraft with Alaska U.S. Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan, as well as Gov. Mike Dunleavy, according to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt.Moscow's delegation reported to be en route to Russia-US summit venue Russian state news agencies RIA Novosti and Tass report that a motorcade with top Russian officials who are part of the delegation has departed to the summit venue.Putin's foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov said earlier that those joining the Russian president in Alaska will include himself, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Defense Minister Andrei Belousov, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov, Putin's envoy for investment and economic cooperation Kirill Dmitriev.Witkoff, Rubio to join Trump in Putin meeting Press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters aboard Air Force One that Trump won't be meeting Putin alone, as she had previewed earlier in the week, but instead will be joined the secretary of state and his special envoy.Leavitt said it would be a three-on-three meeting instead of a one-on-one.His planned lunch meeting with Putin was to include Rubio and Witkoff, along with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and White House chief of staff Susie Wiles.Why are Trump and Putin meeting in Alaska? Alaska was part of the Russian empire until 1867, but Friday marks the first time a Russian leader has visited the area.Alaska was colonized by Russia starting from the 18th century until Czar Alexander II sold it to the United States in 1867 for $7.2 million. When it was found to contain vast resources, it was seen by Russians as a naive deal that generated remorse.After the USSR's collapse, Alaska was a subject of nostalgia and jokes for Russians. One popular song in the 1990s went: "Don't play the fool, America ... give back our dear Alaska land."Trump arrives for pivotal summit with Putin in Alaska that could reshape the war in Ukraine President Donald Trump arrived in Alaska on Friday for a pivotal summit with Russia's Vladimir Putin that could reshape the war in Ukraine and relations between Moscow and Washington.Trump was scheduled to meet Russia's president at his plane shortly. A large "Alaska 2025" sign, flanked by four parked fighter jets and red carpets, was placed on the tarmac at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage for the leaders' arrival. Trump and Putin have shared closely watched handshakes before - but the one they are expected to have Friday will be as scrutinized as any, as will any body language or hints about how each is feeling.The sit-down gives Trump a chance to prove to the world that he is both a master dealmaker and a global peacemaker. He and his allies have cast him as a heavyweight negotiator who can find a way to bring the slaughter to a close - something he used to boast he could do quickly.Trump says he's open to talking business with Putin if 'progress' made on Ukraine Trump made those comments during a gaggle aboard Air Force One, noting that the Russian delegation includes business people.Trump also suggested that Russia's latest strikes on Ukraine represent Putin "trying to negotiate," adding that any consequences for Russia would be "economically severe."Air Force One just rolled by platform where Trump and Putin expected to appear Uniformed military members are now standing alongside the red carpet area, leading to the "Alaska 2025" sign and platform.Minutes after Trump's plane landed, Air Force One moved by the scene as final preparations were being made.Putin will lay flowers at the tomb of Soviet pilots in Alaska Russian state news agency RIA Novosti quoted Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying that Russian President Vladimir Putin will lay flowers at the tomb of Soviet pilots in Alaska after his summit with U.S. President Donald Trump.The stage - or tarmac - is set for Trump-Putin arrival An "Alaska 2025" sign and red carpet are ready on the base tarmac for the leaders' arrival.The carpeting is lined on either side with fighter jets, parked at an angle,Washington, DC's special status gives Trump special powers over National Guard The National Guard now assisting law enforcement in Washington, D.C. are under the direct control of President Donald Trump as delegated through Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, the National Guard says.Trump's authority is delegated through Hegseth and Secretary of the Army Gen. Leland Blanchard, the commanding officer of the D.C. Guard.The direct coordination of the Guard's operations in Washington is being handled by Col. Larry Doan, the leader of the National Guard's D.C. task force. Doan's responsibilities include working with the Metropolitan Police Department and other federal agencies working on law enforcement in the district.Unlike the 50 states, Washington is governed by federal laws including Title 32, which gives the president control over the Guard in the District of Columbia without the need to fully federalize Guard units.DC Appeals Court gives approval for mass layoffs at CFPB The Trump administration can move ahead with firing the vast majority of the employees at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, a panel of judges ruled on Friday. But the decision is being held for seven days while CFPB employees and their legal team file an appeal.The D.C. Court of Appeals overturned a lower court's decision, which originally ruled that the White House's plan to fire roughly 80% of the CFPB's employees was effectively to "shut down" the CFPB. The court ruled that the employees, who sued in this case, did not have standing to argue the continued existence of the CFPB.Since President Donald Trump was sworn into office, the CFPB has effectively been inoperable, and its employees have been banned from doing any work with plans to cut the bureau's employment to a skeleton crew of staff. Earlier courts had ruled that the Trump administration was effectively dismantling the agency without seeking Congress's approval for doing so.Voting in favor of the 2-1 decision was Judges Gregory Katsas and Neomi Rao, both Trump appointees during his first term.The decision is expected to be appealed to the full D.C. Court of Appeals.Trump says 'he would walk' if Putin meeting doesn't go well In a snippet from an interview aboard Air Force One with Fox News Channel's Bret Baier posted on X, Trump predicted that his meeting with the Russian president would "work out very well - and if it doesn't, I'm going to head back home real fast.""I would walk, yeah," he added, after a follow up question from Baier.Friday afternoon on social media, Trump posted a video clip from a gaggle also aboard the plane, in which he was asked what would make the summit a success."I want to see a ceasefire rapidly. I don't know if it's going to be today but I'm not going to be happy if it's not today," Trump told reporters, as he stood in an aisle of the plane. "I'm in this to stop the killing."NATO Supreme Allied Commander in Alaska to provide Trump with military advice General Alexus Grynkewich, NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe is in Alaska to provide "military advice" to President Trump and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, a senior NATO military official told AP, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.Grynkewich, who is the commander of U.S and NATO forces in Europe, is a supporter of Ukraine and views Russia as a clear threat to European security. He has previously spoken of the need to get military aid into Kyiv quickly, including after President Trump said in July that NATO would be coordinating deliveries of U.S weapons.Grynkewich's presence in Alaska is likely to be welcomed by European leaders who have spent recent days trying to convince President Trump to be robust with President Putin and not to do a deal over Kyiv's head.Protesters outside DC police department pledge to 'Resist fascism' As the DC police department prepared to fight the Trump administration in court about a block away, more than 100 protestors gathered in front of police headquarters to rally against the federal takeover.Protesters chanted "protect home rule" and waved signs saying "Resist!"Organizer Nee Nee Taylor of FreeDC shouted on the microphone, "One thing Trump can't take away from DC is our resilience and our joy."Global plastics pollution treaty negotiations fall apart Delegates from around the world adjourned Friday with no immediate plans to resume efforts to reach a major treaty to end the spread of plastic pollution.The consequence of this failure leaves no clear path for nations to collectively address the mountains of plastic filling landfills, clogging oceans and showing up in chunks on beaches and other public places."Consensus is dead," said Bjorn Beeler, international coordinator for the International Pollutants Elimination Network.More than 400 million tons of new plastic is produced each year around the planet, and that could grow by about 70% by 2040 without policy changes.About 100 countries want to limit production, but the United States and other oil-producing countries opposed any limits on making plastics from fossil fuels.DC police chief says Trump administration move is a 'dangerous' threat to law and order Police Chief Pamela Smith's statement came in a court filing Friday as the city seeks to block the federal takeover of its police department in court.Smith said the Trump administration's order installing a federal official as "emergency police chief," if allowed to stand, would upend command structure and be 'dangerous' threat to law and order.Washington's top legal official is seeking an emergency restraining order in federal court. District of Columbia Attorney General Brian Schwalb argues the police takeover is illegal and threatens to "wreak operational havoc."Hillary Clinton has a message for Trump "If Donald Trump negotiates an end to Putin's war on Ukraine without Ukraine having to cede territory, I'll nominate him for a Nobel Peace Prize myself," the former U.S. secretary of state wrote on X.Trump has already said he believes a peace deal would likely require the swapping of Ukrainian territories by both sides.Clinton, Trump's 2016 Democratic opponent, linked to her appearance on the "Raging Moderates" podcast, where she offered Trump some advice: "He is not meeting with a friend. He is meeting with an adversary."But Clinton said that if Trump can negotiate a ceasefire, have Russia withdraw from the territory it seized and bring an end to the war without making Ukraine concede territory, she would join the Nobel lobbying.Trump and his allies have been lobbying for years for him to get the prize.Putin is studying up on his flight to Alaska, spokesman says Putin is scheduled to arrive at 11:00 a.m. local time Friday in Anchorage, where he will be met at the plane by Trump, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in an interview with Russian state TV, an excerpt of which was published on reporter Pavel Zarubin's Telegram channel on Friday.According to Peskov, during the four-hour flight from Magadan, Putin will review materials on Ukraine, bilateral tensions, economic cooperation, and global affairs.Trump speaks to Putin ally as he heads to Alaska The president posted on his social media network that he had "a wonderful talk" with the president of Belarus, Aleksandr Lukashenko.He said their "good" conversation included a discussion of Putin's visit.Trump said they also spoke about the release of some prisoners earlier this year and the future release of prisoners. He did not offer details.Trump says drone attacks hurt Putin's negotiating position Trump said Russian drone attacks on civilian areas of Ukraine are a misguided effort to improve Putin's negotiating position."Maybe it's a part of the world. Maybe it's just his fabric, his genes, his genetics," Trump told reporters traveling with him to the Alaska summit. "But he thinks that gives him strength in negotiating. I think it hurts him, but I'll be talking to him about it later."Trump also talked on Air Force One about economic benefits for Russia, while warning of more severe sanctions if the talks aren't fruitful."I noticed he's bringing a lot of business people from Russia, and that's good," Trump said. "I like that because they want to do business, but they're not doing business until we get to war settled."