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Although they did not immediately announce a ceasefire, Presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin stated that their three-hour meeting on Friday brought them closer to ending the war in Ukraine.
“It’s not a done deal at all”, he told a Fox News interviewer after Friday’s summit in Alaska. “And Ukraine has to agree. President (Volodymyr) Zelensky has to agree.”
“We had a very good meeting today, and I think a lot of points were negotiated on behalf of Ukraine”, he said.
Before the summit, he said that he would not be negotiating on behalf of Ukraine and that the meeting was a sounding board aimed at facilitating a direct meeting between Presidents Putin and Zelensky.
“Now it’s really up to President Zelensky to get it done”, President Trump said of a peace deal.
“We have a pretty good chance of getting it done”, he added.
“They’re going to set up a meeting now, between President Zelensky and President Putin and myself, I guess”, he said.
President Trump had said that he could call an immediate meeting between Presidents Putin and Zelensky if the discussion went his way.
At the end of the news conference, he told Putin, “We’ll speak to you very soon, and probably see you again very soon”.
President Putin chirped up, “Next time in Moscow.”
President Trump saying that “it’s not a done deal” amounted to an admission that he did not get the immediate ceasefire he had insisted on.
However, the fact that he had not walked away and ended the negotiations within minutes, as he had threatened to do before, would indicate a breakthrough.
He also kept his threat of “very severe consequences” if Putin refused to accept peace a secret.
Putin seemed optimistic at the press conference following the end of their negotiations.
“I would like to hope that the agreement that we’ve reached together will help us bring closer that goal (of finding a solution) and will pave the path towards peace in Ukraine”, he said.
“I have every reason to believe that, moving along this path, we can reach the end of the conflict in Ukraine sooner rather than later”, he added.
“I believe we had a very productive meeting”, Trump said. “There were many, many points that we agreed on.”
President Trump said cryptically there were “a couple of big ones that we haven’t quite gotten there, but we’ve made some headway”.
“One is probably the most significant, but we have a very good chance of getting there. We didn’t get there, but we have a very good chance of getting there”, he added.
Fox News interviewer Sean Hannity pressed President Trump about the differences they had.
“I guess somebody is going to go public with it,” he remarked, adding that he would prefer not to discuss it. They will work things out. I don’t want to do that, though. I want to check if we can finish it.
A security guarantee for Ukraine from the US and Europe, as well as a land swap or redrawing of borders that would give Russia some Ukrainian regions, were the primary grounds of contention before the negotiations began.
Trump has mentioned a land exchange, which Zelensky would find politically challenging.
The British Defense Secretary stated on Friday that if a truce is reached, the UK and its allies are prepared to send troops to Ukraine to ensure its security.
Trump also advocated for troops to ensure security, although he denied that they would be part of NATO.
When Putin stated, “Naturally, the security of Ukraine should be true,” he may have conceded the security guarantee issue. We’re ready to overcome that, of course.
Trump announced that he will be calling Zelensky and his Western allies to update them on the summit.
Zelensky and the Europeans, who were skeptical of the summit but were prepared to give it a try, will need to be persuaded that there had been advancements.
The summit was truncated and only one of the planned phases – a meeting with key officials, Trump’s Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Putin’s foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov, Defence Minister Andrei Belousov, and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov — was held.
Trump also advocated for troops to ensure security, although he denied that they would be part of NATO.
When Putin stated, “Naturally, the security of Ukraine should be true,” he may have conceded the security guarantee issue. We’re ready to overcome that, of course.
Trump announced that he will be calling Zelensky and his Western allies to update them on the summit.
Zelensky and the Europeans, who were skeptical of the summit but were prepared to give it a try, will need to be persuaded that there had been advancements.
The third phase in which the topics were expected to be discussed, did not take place.
At the news conference, Putin made he pitch for trade, which now pre-occupies Trump
“It is clear that the US and Russian investment and business cooperation has tremendous potential”, he said. “Russia and the US can offer each other so much in trade, digital and high tech, and in space exploration”, he said.
“Today’s agreements will be the starting point, not only for the solution of the Ukrainian issue, but also will help us bring back business-like and pragmatic relations between Russia and US”, Putin said.
He claimed that under Trump, who has threatened to impose a 25% tariff on India for purchasing oil from Russia, trade between the US and Russia has increased by 20%.
The US Air Force 1 and Russia’s presidential plane touched down nearly simultaneously, kicking off the summit with a staged welcome.
On the red carpet, Trump clapped when Putin approached him.
As a B-2 Spirit bomber and four F-35s soared overhead, they shook hands and grinned.
Source: IANS
