US President Donald Trump has issued a stern warning to Russian President Vladimir Putin, promising “severe consequences” if Moscow disrupts the peace process in Ukraine.
Trump warned on Wednesday that harsh measures, potentially economic sanctions, could be imposed if their scheduled meeting in Alaska on Friday failed to yield results.
He emphasised that the discussions will serve as a springboard for a potential second meeting, this time with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
“If the first one goes okay, we’ll have a quick second one,” Trump told reporters.
“I would like to do it almost immediately, and we’ll have a quick second meeting between President Putin and President Zelenskyy and myself, if they’d like to have me there.”
The US president also claimed that the war in Ukraine was the result of the Biden administration’s policy.
He emphasized his record in global conflicts, saying, “If we can save a lot of lives, it will be fantastic. I’ve stopped five conflicts in the previous six months. Furthermore, we have destroyed Iran’s nuclear capacity.
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The threat follows a high-level virtual call between Trump, Zelenskyy, and European leaders, hosted by Germany, to set non-negotiable principles ahead of the Alaska negotiations.
French President Emmanuel Macron said Trump had agreed that Ukrainian land could not be negotiated away without Kyiv’s consent.
Macron also noted that Trump backed the idea of security guarantees for Ukraine in any post-war arrangement.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz reiterated that the principle of borders being respected must remain intact.
The Alaska meeting is intended to address the nearly three-and-a-half-year-old war — the largest conflict in Europe since World War II.
Trump has already hinted that a territorial swap may be required to halt the violence, which has sparked widespread worry in Kyiv and across Europe.
Zelenskyy traveled to Berlin for meetings prior to the virtual conversation, telling allies that Putin’s recent military victories in eastern Ukraine were part of a larger effort to drive Kyiv into compromises.
Meanwhile, the Kremlin has shown little sign of softening its stance. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Alexei Fadeev stressed that Moscow’s expectations have not altered since last year.
