By Associated Press’s WILL WEISSERT
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump stated on Monday that he will decide shortly after his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin this week whether a solution to end the war in Ukraine could be reached.
by a White House press conference he convened to discuss plans for a federal takeover of Washington’s police force to help combat crime, Trump stated, “I’ll know exactly whether or not a deal can be made at the end of that meeting, probably the first two minutes.”
He stated that he expected Friday’s meeting with Putin in Alaska to be a genuine feel-out. Trump went on to remark that it will be nice, but it may also be horrible. He also hinted that he might say, “Good luck, keep fighting.” Or, I could add, we can work out an agreement.
Trump has been pressing for a ceasefire that has proved unattainable, while Putin seeks to lock in Russia’s gains since invading Ukraine in February 2022. Trump’s hurry to achieve an agreement has sparked concerns in Europe and Ukraine about a deal that favors Russia without enough involvement from Ukraine. After vowing and thus far failing to bring the conflict to a rapid end, Trump has alternatively attacked both leaders with harsh criticism.
Trump avoided several opportunities on Monday to declare that he would encourage Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to participate in his talks with Putin. He was particularly contemptuous of Zelenskyy and his desire to be included in a peace initiative.
He claimed that despite attending numerous meetings, the Ukrainian president was unable to stop a conflict that Russia had initiated. Additionally, Trump pointed out that Zelenskyy had held the position during the war and claimed that nothing occurred during that period. He compared that to Putin, who has ruled Russia for many years.
Following his meeting with Putin, Trump stated that he would meet with Zelenskyy and Putin next, but that he might also meet with Putin and Zelenskyy and himself.
Fearing that talks may otherwise favor Moscow, European allies have pushed for Ukraine’s involvement.
Trump went on to say that following his meeting with Putin, he would phone Zelenskyy and European leaders to inform them of the type of agreement he would not be making. Making a contract is not my responsibility.
Since his nation hasn’t held elections during the conflict, Trump has spent the first several months of his presidency criticizing Zelenskyy and even calling him a tyrant. Trump and Vice President JD Vance implied that Zelenskyy wasn’t appreciative enough of U.S. assistance, which led to his dismissal from the White House in February.
Trump has since tempered his tone against Zelenskyy and voiced his anger with Putin about Russia’s apparent lack of commitment to a ceasefire. He may have changed his mind again, based on his remarks on Monday.
Trump remarked, “President Putin invited me to get involved.” In contrast to demanding that Trump travel to Russia, he said he found it quite respectful that Putin is traveling to the United States for the meeting on Friday.
A ceasefire is what I want to see. Trump stated that he wanted to see the best possible agreement for both parties.
Without providing further details, the president reiterated that land exchanges might be a part of any significant agreement. If Friday’s summit goes well, he said Monday, he might imagine a day when the United States and Russia normalize commercial relations. He had warned Moscow with harsher economic sanctions if more wasn’t done to work toward a truce.
With the long-term goal of regaining Ukraine’s sphere of influence, Putin is anticipated to remain steadfast in his demands to retain all the land his forces now control and to stop Ukraine from joining NATO.
Zelenskyy maintains that he will never give up his attempt to join NATO or agree to any official Russian takeover of Ukrainian territory.
As Ukrainian soldiers fight to stop Russian advances along the 1,000-kilometer (600-mile) front, Putin feels he has the upper hand on the ground. Few Ukrainian soldiers on the front lines think the battle is coming to an end.
Germany invited Trump, Zelenskyy, the head of NATO, and a number of other European leaders to a virtual conference on Wednesday in an attempt to be ready for the summit, as Europeans and Ukrainians have not yet been invited.
According to the German chancellery, the meetings would look for new measures to put pressure on Russia and get ready for peace talks and related security and territorial claims concerns.
The German administration has always stressed that boundaries cannot be moved by force and that Ukraine should make its own decisions on its own, according to Steffen Meyer, spokesman for German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
Earlier, in an area about 260 miles (418 kilometers) east of Moscow, a Ukrainian drone strike killed one person and injured two more.
According to Russia’s Defense Ministry, 39 Ukrainian drones were intercepted and destroyed by its air defenses over several Russian provinces and the Crimean Peninsula, which Russia annexed in 2014.
