Ahead of his highly anticipated Friday summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, US President Donald Trump expressed confidence that he will quickly gauge the chances of striking a deal, saying he will know “within the first two minutes” of their meeting whether an agreement is possible.
Speaking at a White House briefing on Monday, Trump signaled optimism about restoring normal trade between the US and Russia, provided Moscow shifts its focus from conflict to commerce. “Russia has a very valuable piece of land. If Vladimir Putin would go toward business instead of toward war… it’s a warring nation, that’s what they do,” he remarked.
On the Ukraine conflict, Trump said he aims to push for a ceasefire, describing it as the “best deal” for both sides. He linked Russia’s economic struggles to US-imposed tariffs, noting that a 50% levy on nations purchasing Russian oil dealt “a big blow” to Moscow’s economy.
Trump revealed he had planned more severe measures before receiving a call from Putin requesting the meeting. “They’d like to meet, and I’m going to see what they want to meet about,” he said, calling the upcoming talks “a big deal.”
He emphasized that European leaders are eager to end the war, claiming they are “tired of it” and want to refocus resources on domestic priorities. “If it weren’t for me, this thing would never get solved until the last person breathing is dead,” he asserted, adding that he wants a ceasefire “immediately.”
Blaming the war on President Joe Biden, Trump said, “This is Biden’s war, not mine,” and vowed to tell Putin directly, “you’ve got to end this war.” He also hinted at a possible trilateral meeting involving Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Putin, with himself present if needed.
Trump plans to first explore “the parameters of a peace deal” with Putin before briefing NATO, EU leaders, and Zelensky, whom he said he would call “out of respect” before any public announcement.