WASHINGTON – Today, President Trump and Vladimir Putin met face-to-face in Anchorage, Alaska, intending to bring warring Russia and Ukraine together and usher in an end to the years-long conflict.
WATCH the Joint Press Conference Here:
Ahead of the summit, both men set the stage. Putin praised Trump for his “energetic and sincere efforts to stop the hostilities” and “reach agreements.” He also said the meeting could include discussions on a potential nuclear arms deal.
In Washington, Trump didn’t rule out that topic but said his focus would be on ending the war. “I think that President Putin would like to see a deal. I think if I weren’t president, he would take over all of Ukraine,” he told reporters Thursday. “But I am president, and he’s not going to mess around with me.”
Still, Trump believes there’s a 25 percent chance these talks could fail, and if that happens has promised “severe consequences” for the Kremlin.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is not invited to the meeting. He believes Putin is bluffing as Russian forces push to gain more territory in Ukraine ahead of any agreement.
President Trump hopes this meeting will lead to another that includes both sides in the coming days.
“All I want to do is set the table for the next meeting, which should happen shortly,” said Trump. “I’d like to see it happen very quickly, very shortly after this meeting. I’d like to see it happen, maybe in Alaska, where we just stayed, because it’s so much easier.”
Trump left Washington early Friday morning. The meeting begins at 11:30 a.m. Alaska time at a U.S. military base, and will be followed by a bilateral lunch and then a joint news conference.
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