President Donald Trump warned that “severe consequences” lie ahead for Russia if Russian President Vladimir Putin doesn’t agree to stop the Ukraine war after they meet for a high-stakes summit in Alaska on Friday.
Responding to a question from a reporter after announcing this year’s recipients for the Kennedy Center Honors in Washington, D.C., Trump said “there will be very severe consequences” and that “he doesn’t have to” specify what, should Russia not move toward a cease-fire.
Trump was then asked if he believes he can “convince” Putin to “stop targeting civilians in Ukraine,” to which he replied: “I’ve had a lot of good conversations with him [Putin], but then I go home and see that a rocket hit a nursing home [or an apartment building] and people are laying dead in the street, so I guess the answer to that is ‘no.'”
The U.S. President went on to add that he wants to “end the war” and will be “very proud” to end it.
Trump’s remarks came shortly after he shared an “exceptionally constructive and good conversation” with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and key European leaders on Wednesday, according to German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
Debriefing the press after the call, for which Trump dialled in virtually and U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance was also on the line, Merz suggested “there is hope that something is moving,” ahead of the Putin summit.
Read More: Zelensky on Trump, Putin, and the Endgame in Ukraine
Zelensky, meanwhile, warned Trump that Putin is “bluffing” about being open to a cease-fire and lasting peace.
French President Emmanuel Macron divulged that while the group discussed a potential exchange of land, “as of today, there are no serious territorial exchange plans on the table.” Zelensky and Merz both reiterated the need for a cease-fire and strong Ukrainian security guarantees before any negotiations take place.
Mark Rutte, the Secretary General of NATO, shared a positive outlook following the conversation.
“Great call with [Trump], Zelensky, and European leaders ahead of President Trump’s meeting with Putin in Alaska. We are united in pushing to end this terrible war… and achieve just and lasting peace,” Rutte said via social media. “Appreciate Trump’s leadership and close coordination with allies. The ball is now in Putin’s court.”
Shortly after the call, Vance spoke to U.S. soldiers at a military base in England, where he is currently on a trip with his family.
“We are going to make it our mission as an Administration to bring peace to Europe once again,” Vance said.
Zelensky touched down in Berlin early Wednesday to meet with Merz and others ahead of the all-important conversation with Trump. The opportunity served as Zelensky’s chance to make a final case to the U.S. President before he meets with Putin.
Trump referred to the European leaders as “great people who want to see a deal done,” in a Truth Social post early Wednesday.
After the conversation, Zelensky said that Trump struck down the idea that Russia could veto Ukraine’s NATO membership aspirations and reiterated calls for possible economic penalties on Russia—which the U.S. President has repeatedly promised to enact—should a cease-fire deal not be reached.
Trump has also agreed to first inform Zelensky, then the key European leaders, of any updates following his conversation with Putin, according to Merz.
Meanwhile, Trump previously stated that a lasting cease-fire in the Russia-Ukraine war, which was triggered when Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, could only come through the exchange of territories “for the betterment of both.” Zelensky, backed by his European allies, staunchly denounced that idea, stating that Ukraine will not “gift their land to the occupier.”
The Ukrainian leader doubled down on his position on Wednesday, saying: “I stress that any questions concerning our country’s territorial integrity cannot be discussed without regard for our people, for the will of our people and the Ukrainian constitution.”
World leaders, such as France’s Macron and U.K. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, had previously urged Trump to consider inviting Ukraine to the Putin summit while reiterating their support for the eastern European nation.
“The path to peace in Ukraine cannot be decided without Ukraine,” the leaders of France, Italy, the U.K., Germany, Poland, and Finland said in a statement on Saturday. “We remain committed to the principle that international borders must not be changed by force.”
Russian troops advanced deeper into Ukraine on Tuesday, in what some have viewed as a bid to pressure Kyiv into considering Putin’s demands for more territory. “We see that the Russian army is not preparing to end the war. On the contrary, they are making movements that indicate preparations for new offensive operations,” Zelensky said.
Furthermore, ahead of his call with Zelensky and others on Wednesday, Trump strongly criticized what he claimed has been “very unfair” media coverage of his upcoming talk with Putin.
“Very unfair media is at work on my meeting with Putin. Constantly quoting fired losers and really dumb people,” Trump said via Truth Social, before referencing recent comments made by his former national security adviser John Bolton, who asserted that “Putin has already won,” in an interview with The Atlantic.
“What’s that all about? We are winning on EVERYTHING. The fake news is working overtime. (No tax on overtime),” Trump maintained.
Read More: World Leaders React to Zelensky and Trump’s Oval Office Showdown
Amid much discussion over the Trump-Putin summit and what, if any, progress can be made, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt has seemingly downplayed expectations.
Addressing reporters on Tuesday, she said the meeting will serve as a “listening exercise” for Trump, in order for him to get a “better understanding” of how to end the war in Ukraine.
