U.S. President Donald Trump has warned of “severe consequences” if Russian President Vladimir Putin refuses to agree to peace in Ukraine during their meeting in Alaska on Friday.
As reported in Reuters, Trump declined to detail the measures but said they could follow swiftly if talks fail. He has previously raised the prospect of economic sanctions.
The Alaska summit will focus on ending the three-and-a-half-year-old conflict — Europe’s largest since World War Two — which has claimed tens of thousands of lives and displaced millions. Trump said the meeting’s purpose was to “set the table” for a second round that would include Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
epa10455787 French President Emmanuel Macron (R), Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky (C) and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (L) arrive to give a joint statement, at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, 08 February 2023. EPA/SARAH MEYSSONNIER / POOL MAXPPP OUT
“If the first one goes okay, we’ll have a quick second meeting between President Putin and President Zelenskiy and myself, if they’d like,” Trump said, without giving a timeframe.
Europe and Kyiv Push Back on Land Concessions
Fears in Kyiv and European capitals had grown that the talks could result in a territorial deal over Ukraine’s head. European leaders, joined by Zelenskiy, held a last-minute virtual meeting with Trump to lay out red lines.
French President Emmanuel Macron said Trump agreed that Ukraine must be involved in any territorial discussions and backed security guarantees in a post-war settlement. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stressed that borders could not be changed by force and warned that pressure on Moscow would be increased if Alaska talks fail.
An assistant talks to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (2L) as German Chancellor Friedrich Merz looks on ahead a virtual talk between European leaders and the US President on the Ukraine war ahead of the summit between the US and Russian leaders, in Berlin, Germany, on August 13, 2025. European leaders will hold online talks with US President Donald Trump, hoping to convince him to respect Ukraine’s interests when he discusses the war with Putin in Alaska on Friday. JOHN MACDOUGALL/Pool via REUTERS
Zelenskiy, speaking after flying to Berlin for the consultations, accused Putin of “bluffing” about ending the war and warned that Russia’s recent push in eastern Ukraine was designed to force concessions. “Russia is trying to show it can occupy all of Ukraine,” he said.
Russia Holds Firm on Demands
Moscow’s position remains unchanged, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Alexei Fadeev said. Putin’s conditions for a ceasefire include Ukraine withdrawing forces from four Russian-claimed regions and abandoning plans to join NATO — terms Kyiv has rejected as surrender.
Trump’s willingness to meet Putin marks a shift after weeks of frustration over stalled U.S. peace efforts. His envoy, Steve Witkoff, recently returned from talks in Moscow that Trump described as making “great progress.”
While a Gallup poll shows 69% of Ukrainians support ending the war through negotiations, most oppose major concessions that would reward Russia’s nearly 11-year campaign to seize Ukrainian territory.
