President Donald Trump says there is a “25% chance” his much-anticipated Alaska summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin will not succeed, but he remains hopeful it could set the stage for direct talks between Russia and Ukraine.
“If it’s a good meeting, I’ll call President Zelenskyy to arrange a second meeting,” Trump told Fox News Radio on Thursday.
“That could take place in Alaska or somewhere else, but there has to be give and take — and Ukraine will be part of any decision,” he said.
The US president stressed that a Zelenskyy–Putin sit-down “might be more productive” than his own talks with the Russian leader, stating that he will also like to attend the meeting.
However, Trump would not confirm whether such a meeting was imminent, saying it only depends on how his meeting with Putin goes.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump will “exhaust all options to try and bring this war to a peaceful resolution.”
She outlined a schedule that includes a one-on-one meeting, a bilateral lunch with delegations, and a joint news conference.
Putin, speaking to senior officials ahead of his departure, praised Trump’s “energetic and sincere efforts” to stop the fighting.
“We must create long-term conditions for peace between our countries, in Europe, and in the world in general,” he said, according to Russia’s TASS news agency.
