U.S. President Donald Trump has said he may host a three-way summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Alaska, as part of renewed efforts to end the war in Ukraine.
In remarks delivered Thursday, Trump warned that if Putin refuses to agree to peace, “Moscow will face very severe consequences.” He did not specify whether these would take the form of sanctions or tariffs.
Trump is scheduled to meet Putin tomorrow (Friday) in Alaska to discuss ways to end the conflict. He said that if the initial meeting goes well, a follow-up summit involving Zelensky could happen immediately—“provided they want me to be there.”
Ahead of the anticipated talks, European leaders and Zelensky outlined their “red lines” to Trump during a virtual call earlier this week. Speaking to reporters, Trump said, “It was a very good call. Zelensky was on. I’d rate it a ten out of ten. Very friendly.”
French President Emmanuel Macron said Trump had agreed that Ukraine must be present in any discussions involving territorial negotiations. “Trump made it very clear that the United States wants a ceasefire to come out of this meeting,” Macron stated.
Zelensky confirmed that Trump had expressed support for security guarantees as part of a potential post-war agreement.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who hosted the virtual conference, reiterated that “borders must not be altered by force”—a principle he said must remain non-negotiable.
President Trump has previously floated the idea of territorial exchange as a possible path to ending a war that has already claimed tens of thousands of lives.
