WASHINGTON, D.C. – “Keep fighting” or “we can make a deal”, those are the options President Trump said Russia’s President Vladimir Putin will have at their meeting this Friday. The President also said Ukraine and Russia might have to make major concessions to end the war.
“I’m going in to speak with Vladimir Putin and I’m going to be telling him you gotta end this war, you gotta end this war,” said President Trump days before the planned meeting with Putin in Alaska. The President said he wants to see what Putin’s parameters are for ending the war in Ukraine.
“I’m gonna meet with Putin to see what he has in mind,” said Trump. “If it’s a fair deal I’ll relay it to the European Union and to the NATO leaders and to President Zelenskyy. Out of respect I might call him first and then I’ll call them after. I might say ‘lots of luck’ and keep fighting or I may say ‘we can make a deal’”.
This will be the first time the President is meeting with Putin since his return to office and the first time they will meet since Russia invaded Ukraine more than three years ago. The President said some concessions might need to be made.
“There will be some land swapping going on and I know that through Russia and through conversations with everybody for the good of Ukraine also some bad stuff for both,” said Trump.
“There is clear support for the principle that everything concerning Ukraine must be decided with Ukraine’s participation,” said Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. “Just as it should be for every other independent state.”
Ukraine has been unwavering in that they will not give up any territory.
“There is clear support for our independence, our sovereignty, and the territory integrity of Ukraine,” said Zelenskyy. “The war must be ended as soon as possible with a just peace.”
Trump said he wants Zelenskyy and Putin to meet but it’s undetermined if that will actually happen. On the social media platform X, President Zelenskyy said there is new intelligence reporting that Russia is redeploying their troops and forces in ways that suggest a new offensive will be launched. He adds that if someone is preparing for peace, this is not what they do.
