U.S. President Donald Trump said he believes Russian President Vladimir Putin is open to ending the war in Ukraine. Speaking ahead of their scheduled summit on Friday, Trump noted that achieving lasting peace would likely require a second round of talks that includes Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Zelenskyy and European leaders have stepped up diplomatic efforts this week to ensure that no agreement between the U.S. and Russia puts Ukraine at risk or compromises its territorial integrity.
“I believe President Putin wants peace, and I believe President Zelenskyy does too,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “We’ll see if they can come to terms.”
Trump downplayed expectations for a ceasefire from the initial summit in Alaska, suggesting instead that a broader meeting might follow. “This meeting is important, but the next one will be even more so,” he said. “We’re planning for a second round with Putin, Zelenskyy, myself, and possibly some European leaders.”
Ahead of the talks, Putin held discussions with top security and government officials. In televised remarks, he acknowledged what he called Washington’s “genuine and energetic efforts” to bring an end to the conflict and reach agreements beneficial to all involved.
Putin said long-term peace would depend on broader agreements, including on strategic weapons control. His comments signaled that nuclear arms negotiations could play a key role in the talks with Trump. Russian officials also pointed to untapped opportunities for economic cooperation between the two countries.
An Eastern European official, speaking anonymously due to the sensitivity of the issue, expressed concern that Putin may try to divert Trump’s focus away from Ukraine by offering progress on nuclear arms or economic deals. “We hope Trump sees through any attempt to distract from Ukraine,” the official said. “Russia’s real objective is to get sanctions lifted.”
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Trump said there would be a press conference following the summit, though he was unsure if it would be held jointly. In a recent interview, he hinted that discussions might involve compromises on territorial matters.
“This feels like a chess game,” Trump said. “This first meeting sets up the second one. But there’s a 25% chance this one won’t be productive.”
He stressed that it would be up to Putin and Zelenskyy to reach an agreement. “I’m not negotiating their deal,” he said.
Russia currently controls about 20% of Ukrainian territory, and there are concerns in Kyiv and across Europe that any agreement could legitimise those gains and embolden future aggression.
A European Union diplomat expressed unease about what might emerge from the summit: “Trump had good conversations with European leaders yesterday, but that was yesterday. We’re watching closely.”
Trump reportedly voiced support for offering Ukraine some form of security guarantees during a virtual meeting with Zelenskyy and European leaders on Wednesday. However, he made no public mention of these commitments afterward.
The Friday summit will be the first formal meeting between U.S. and Russian leaders since 2021 and comes at a critical point in the war, which has claimed tens of thousands of lives and displaced millions since the full-scale invasion in February 2022.
After the Wednesday talks, French President Emmanuel Macron said Trump had made it clear NATO should not be directly involved in any future security guarantees for Ukraine. Instead, Trump indicated that the U.S. and willing partners could lead such efforts.
A European official familiar with the call said Trump was open to providing some form of security assurance for Europe but didn’t go into specifics. “It felt like a step forward,” the official said.
What form those guarantees might take is still unclear.
Trump has warned of “serious consequences” if Putin refuses to pursue peace, including economic penalties should Friday’s meeting fail to produce progress. Meanwhile, Russia continues to hold firm to its previous demands, consistent with Putin’s public stance from June 2024.
