Presidents will find themselves in Alaska, but nobody knows how everything will unfold. In the end, the goal is a joint press conference, but this can change if the thing “does not go well”
Russian President Vladimir Putin praised Trump’s “energetic” efforts to stop AE and hinder that Moscow and Washington DC could reach an agreement on nuclear weapons control during the summit that takes place this Friday in Alaska.
In his early public comments since US President Donald Trump announced the summit in that US state, Putin chaired a meeting of high Russian employees at Kremlin to inform them of the point of the US negotiations on Ukraine.
“The current American administration … is making, in my opinion, very energetic and sincere efforts to stop hostilities, stop the crisis and reach agreements that are of interest to all parties involved in this conflict,” Putin said.
In his brief intervention, Putin said that summit with the US aims to “create long -term peace conditions among our countries, as well as in Europe and in the world in general.”
The Russian President suggested that this broader peace can be achieved if, in the “next phases” of discussions with the US, “we reach agreements in the area of control of offensive strategic weapons.”
Although it was not clear to what kind Putin agreement referred, most of the US and Russia -covered strategic weapons covered nuclear weapons or nuclear missile systems.
The US and Russia have agreed to limit their nuclear weapons arsenals under the new Start Treaty, which came into force in 2011. In terms of the agreement, the two countries had seven years to meet the defined boundaries for the number of intercontinental nuclear weapons they could have. However, the treaty expires in February 2026.
In a sign of discomfort between the two countries, Trump confirmed this month that he ordered two nuclear submarines to be strategically positioned near Russia, in response to what he said were “highly provocative” observations of Dmitry Medvedev, former President of Russia and current vice president of the Security Council.
Medvedev is likely to erratic explosions on social networks – often lifting the spectrum from a nuclear conflict – but Trump said he made the decision “in the case of these foolish and inflammatory statements more than just that.”
“He will make a deal”
Trump said Thursday he believes Putin “will make a deal” to end the war in Ukraine during the talks.
“I believe that now he is convinced that he will make a deal. He will make a deal. I think he will make,” said the American leader during an appearance on Fox Radio’s The Brian Kilmeade Show.
Trump also suggested that his goal is to advance to a trilateral meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, suggesting that “three different places” are on the table – including the possibility of “staying in Alaska.”
A second meeting, which Friday’s conversations will aim to organize, would be “very, very important,” Trump reiterated, “because it will be a meeting in which they will make a deal.”
He suggested that there would be “giving and receiving” on borders and land during a second meeting.
Also this Thursday, Yury Ushakov, Putin’s advisor to foreign policy, shared more details about the plans for the summit, saying that the presidents will start having a conversation alone, with the help of interpreters, before continuing the talks during a business lunch.
The advisor said the conversations will focus on the war in Ukraine, as well as in the prospects for cooperation between Russia and the US in commercial and economic issues. After the talks, the presidents will give a joint press conference.
Trump, however, said Brian Kilmeade of Fox Radio, who could decide to give a solo press conference if the “meeting does not end well.”
“I’m going to give a press conference. I don’t know if it will be joint. We haven’t even talked about it yet. I think it would be good to have a joint press conference and then separate ourselves,” he said, adding that if the meeting does not end well, I give a press conference and leave. I return to Washington DC. “
Ushakov will be one of five members of the Russian negotiation team, along with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Defense Minister Andrey Belousov, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov, and Kirill Dmitiev, a senior negotiator and head of the Russian Sovereign Fund.
Ukraine and Europe were not invited to the summit on Friday, which raises fears that Kiev can be forced to make unwanted concessions.
Desperate for getting Trump’s attention one last time before he sat alone with Putin, European leaders held a telephone call with the US president on Wednesday.
After the meeting, Europeans were cautiously optimistic, stating that Trump had been understanding with his appeals to an immediate ceasefire and that Ukraine must take a place at the table in future negotiations.
CNN Betsy Klein contributed to this report
