Trump Issues New Ultimatum Before Meeting with Putin

New high-profile and controversial statements from Trump ahead of his meeting with Vladimir Putin in Alaska. The White House owner issued an ultimatum to Moscow: if there is no readiness to cease hostilities following the negotiations, Russia will face consequences. Previously, Trump, when asked about the upcoming talks, emphasized that their goal would be to better understand Moscow’s position. He believes that a resolution to the conflict could be achieved later, during a meeting involving the leaders of the United States, Russia, and Ukraine. He is confident that such a meeting would take place almost immediately after the talks with Putin.

Donald Trump, President of the United States:

"If the first meeting goes well, we will hold a quick second meeting. I would like it to happen almost immediately. We will have a meeting with President Putin, Zelensky, and myself, if they want me to be there."

All these statements were made following a video conference Trump held with European Union leaders and Zelensky. The meeting took place in a highly secretive environment. According to the newspaper Bild, even interpreters were not allowed into the secure, windowless room. The details of the discussion became known later through statements by Merz. He once again stressed the importance of Ukraine’s presence at the negotiations between Russia and the US, as well as the significance of European participation. Reactions from Moscow are yet to come. Earlier, the Russian Foreign Ministry provided details and objectives for the upcoming meeting, as well as efforts to hinder the summit’s organization.

Alexey Fadeev, Deputy Director of the Information and Press Department of the Russian Foreign Ministry:

"We believe that this meeting should allow the leaders to focus on discussing all accumulated issues, ranging from the Ukrainian crisis to obstacles hindering the establishment of a normal, functional bilateral dialogue, which is, of course, of utmost importance for ensuring international peace and stability. We consider the consultations requested by Europeans as politically and practically insignificant actions. Europeans verbally support the diplomatic efforts of Washington and Moscow to resolve the Ukraine crisis. In reality, however, the European Union sabotages them."

Russia–US Summit: New Details About the Alaska Meeting

According to CNN, the summit will take place at the Elmendorf-Richardson military base in Anchorage, Alaska. The day before, Russia’s Foreign Minister and the US Secretary of State discussed the details of organizing the leaders’ meeting over the phone. The State Department noted that both sides are optimistic about success. However, Rubio warned that the upcoming Alaska meeting is not a place for concluding a finalized deal but rather an "introductory" meeting. This effectively lowered expectations for the summit.