Just ahead of meeting Vladimir Putin in Alaska, US President Donald Trump on Friday said he wanted a ceasefire and added that he “won’t be happy” if Russia-Ukraine ceasefire fails. Trump on Friday left Washington aboard Air Force One for high-stake meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, where talks are expected to focus on a possible ceasefire deal for Ukraine.
Trump says he is not going to broker deal on behalf of Ukraine
On board the Air Force One, Trump stated that he is not going to Alaska to broker a deal on behalf of Ukraine, but said instead his objective was to get Putin to the talks table. “I’m not here to negotiate for Ukraine. I’m not doing this for my health… I’d like to focus on our country, but I’m doing this to save a lot of lives," he said.
However, before leaving for Alaska, Trump said, "He (Putin) is interested in the Trump economy." and added, "If we make progress, I will discuss it," referring to potential business engagement with Russia. Notably, Trump made it clear, "They are not doing business until they get the war stopped."
Trump departs for Alaska
"HIGH STAKES!!!" Trump posted on Truth Social as his motorcade idled outside the White House shortly after sunrise in Washington. An hour later, he waved as he boarded Air Force One but did not speak to reporters.
Just ahead of his departure for Alaska, Trump signalled optimism about the talks, saying, "Something is going to come of it."
Trump says Ukraine has to decide on its territory
And on Ukraine’s territorial issues, he said, "Ukraine has to decide territory." Trump’s meeting with Putin could determine not only the trajectory of the war in Ukraine but also the fate of European security.
The meeting also offers 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.
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.
What are the significant risks for Trump?
There are significant risks for Trump. By bringing Putin onto US soil, the president is giving Russia's leader the validation he desires after his ostracisation following his invasion of Ukraine 3 1/2 years ago.
The exclusion of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy from the summit also deals a heavy blow to the West's policy of “nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine” and invites the possibility that Trump could agree to a deal that Ukraine does not want.
Any success is far from assured, especially as Russia and Ukraine remain far apart in their demands for peace. Putin has long resisted any temporary ceasefire, linking it to a halt in Western arms supplies and a freeze on Ukraine's mobilization efforts, which were conditions rejected by Kyiv and its Western allies.
Trump on Thursday said there was a 25 per cent chance that the summit would fail, but he also floated the idea that if the meeting succeeds he could bring Zelenskyy to Alaska for a subsequent, three-way meeting, a possibility that Russia hasn't agreed to.
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