Trump intends to confer with European leaders prior to his meeting with Putin, as announced by Germany
The upcoming summit between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, scheduled for Friday in Alaska, is set to focus on achieving a full peace deal to end the war in Ukraine rather than just a ceasefire.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has framed the meeting as a starting point for negotiations, emphasising that Ukraine's involvement is crucial. He stated that a trilateral meeting involving Trump, Putin, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy could follow.
The approach emphasises mutual concessions, with each side to give something and each side to get something, as the method to reach agreement. However, significant challenges remain, as Russia is resisting key proposals, such as NATO troops entering Ukraine for security guarantees.
Russia's focus appears to be on securing long-term control over Ukraine rather than a simple territorial realignment. The Kremlin’s reluctance suggests that while peace talks are underway, the Russian leadership is cautious and has only agreed to senior officials participating in further negotiations rather than endorsing immediate high-level meetings.
The potential outcomes of the talks include advancing toward a negotiated peace settlement, continued resistance by Russia on certain security demands, and increased pressure on Putin through sanctions and military aid to Ukraine.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has expressed concerns about the potential exchange of territories being the key to achieving lasting peace, stating that any decision on a potential exchange of territories and other conditions for peace must be negotiated with Ukraine. European leaders have also expressed concerns that Putin may push for a final deal on Ukraine during the summit.
The leaders of Germany, Finland, France, Great Britain, Italy, and Poland are expected to take part in the talks, which will focus on "further options for action to put pressure on Russia" and "preparations for possible peace negotiations and related issues of territorial claims and security".
Trump has stated that the encounter with Putin will be a "feel-out meeting" aimed at urging Russia to end the war in Ukraine. He has also expressed his intention to tell Putin to end the war during their meeting.
Germany will host online talks with Trump, European leaders, top EU and NATO officials, and Zelenskiy on Wednesday. Trump has suggested that a future meeting could include Zelenskiy.
The media reports suggest that Putin proposed a ceasefire at the current front line in exchange for Ukraine handing over permanent control of its Donetsk and Luhansk regions during his visit to Moscow last week. Trump has also stated that any potential deal with Putin would entail "some swapping of territories [between Ukraine and Russia] to the betterment of both".
However, the leaders are concerned that Trump might agree a deal on Ukraine with Putin without Ukraine's involvement during their summit in Alaska on Friday. They have previously said that Ukraine needs "robust and credible security guarantees" and "freedom of choice over its own destiny", and that an initial ceasefire should be a precondition for "meaningful negotiations".
The talks on Wednesday will involve leaders of several European states, as previously stated. Mr Tusk, however, has expressed concerns about the potential exchange of territories being the key to achieving lasting peace, but noted that everything will become known on Friday.
[1] The Washington Post [2] The New York Times
- In light of the upcoming summit between Presidents Trump and Putin, discussions around policy and legislation, particularly regarding war-and-conflicts and politics, are gaining traction, as the aim is to achieve a comprehensive peace deal in Ukraine rather than just a ceasefire.
- General news outlets such as The Washington Post and The New York Times are reporting that a potential outcome of the summit could involve a deal involving the exchange of territories between Ukraine and Russia, a proposal that has raised concerns among European leaders.
