Ahead of the meeting with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Alaska, US President Donald Trump said that all possible territorial exchanges between Ukraine and Russia will be decided by Kiev.
“They will be discussed, but I have to let Ukraine make that decision. And I think they will make the right decision, but I am not here to negotiate for Ukraine. I will bring them to the negotiating table,” Trump said when asked on Air Force One on his way to Alaska if territorial exchanges were on the table.
When asked if security guarantees were possible for Ukraine, Trump said yes, along with Europe and other countries, but not “in the form of NATO”, saying that such membership would not happen for Ukraine.
He also warned that Putin could face severe economic consequences if he does not show interest in ending the war in Ukraine.
“I notice he’s bringing a lot of business people from Russia. And that’s good. I like that, because they want to do business, but they’re not doing business until we resolve the war,” he said.
Before the meeting, Trump posted a message on the American social network Social Truth titled “High Stakes.”
The meeting between the two leaders is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. local time (19:30 GMT) in Anchorage, the largest city in the U.S. state of Alaska, and will be the first talks between sitting U.S. and Russian presidents since the start of the war between Russia and Ukraine in February 2022.
Trump is accompanied by several senior U.S. officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Besant, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, and special envoy Steve Witkoff, AA writes.
