Trump and Putin Prepare for Pivotal Alaska Summit on Ukraine Conflict
Donald Trump stated Thursday that his upcoming summit with Russia’s Vladimir Putin in Alaska could end in failure, but he views it as merely a precursor to a more significant, future meeting focused on negotiating a resolution to the Ukraine war, reports 24brussels.
The discussions between Trump and Putin, set to take place on Friday at a US air base outside Anchorage, aim to address the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will not participate in the summit; however, Trump has indicated the possibility of a subsequent meeting involving both leaders if the initial talks prove fruitful.
“This meeting sets up the second meeting. The second meeting is going to be very, very important, because that’s going to be a meeting where they make a deal,” Trump conveyed during an interview with Fox News Radio.
He further elaborated, “And I don’t want to use the word ‘divvy’ things up. But you know, to a certain extent, it’s not a bad term, okay?”
The prospect of a robust Russian offensive and Zelenskyy’s absence from Friday’s assembly have intensified concerns in Europe that Trump and Putin could potentially broker a deal imposing harsh concessions on Ukraine.
Trump initially mentioned possible “land swapping,” though he appeared to retract this notion following discussions with European leaders earlier this week. Nonetheless, his comments to Fox News Radio suggest that some form of territorial exchange remains a possibility.
He assessed a “25% chance that this meeting will not be a successful meeting,” highlighting the unpredictable nature of the summit and its ramifications for Ukraine and broader international relations.
