Trump: Putin Prepared for Ukraine Deal, U.S. Aims to Bring Zelensky to Talks
U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold their Alaska meeting today, a high-stakes discussion that could shape the future of the war in Ukraine.
“I believe Putin is convinced he’s going to make a deal,” Trump told Fox News Radio’s The Brian Kilmeade Show. “We’ll see what happens.”
Trump has three possible locations in mind for a follow-up meeting with Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. He noted the second meeting is not certain but said Alaska would be the easiest choice.
“Depending on what happens, I’ll call President Zelensky and get him to wherever we meet,” Trump said.
He expects the second meeting to focus on border disputes. Zelensky has insisted Ukraine will not surrender any occupied land.
“The second meeting will be the one where they make a deal,” Trump said. “I don’t like the term ‘divvy things up,’ but there will be give and take on boundaries.” He compared the process to a chess game and estimated a 75% chance of success for the first round.
Putin Says Nuclear Arms Control May Be Part of Talks
Trump said Putin and Zelensky must negotiate their own peace deal. “I’m not going to negotiate their deal. They will negotiate their deal,” he said.
Earlier today, Putin spoke to his top ministers before flying to Anchorage. He called U.S. efforts to stop the fighting “energetic and sincere.”
Putin said the goal is to create lasting peace between the U.S., Russia, and Europe. He added that the talks could lead to agreements on controlling strategic offensive weapons.
His remarks suggest Russia will bring nuclear arms control into the discussion, widening the agenda beyond Ukraine.
Europe Warns Against Sanctions Relief and Land Concessions
A Kremlin aide said Putin and Trump will also explore new opportunities for economic cooperation between Russia and the U.S.
An Eastern European official warned that Putin may try to distract Trump from Ukraine. The Russian leader could offer progress on nuclear arms control or business deals. “We hope Trump won’t be fooled,” the official said. “Moscow wants no new sanctions and the removal of current ones.”
Russia now controls about 20% of Ukraine. Zelensky and European leaders fear any deal that cements those gains would reward Putin’s long campaign and encourage more aggression.
“It’s scary to see how this will unfold in the coming hours,” an EU diplomat said. “Trump had good calls with Europe yesterday — but that was yesterday.”
On Wednesday, during a virtual meeting with Zelensky and European leaders, Trump appeared willing to join security guarantees for Ukraine. However, he made no public statement about that commitment afterward.
Published in Daily Pak, August 15th, 2025
