The President of the United States, Donald Trump, announced an ambitious plan for a diplomatic resolution to the Russo-Ukrainian conflict through an upcoming meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, which will be held in Alaska.
In an official statement to the media, Trump emphasized his intention to attempt to return Ukrainian territories occupied by Russia. "Russia has occupied a significant part of Ukraine. We will try to return some of these territories," the American leader said.
The president described the upcoming meeting as "getting to know each other," with the main goal of convincing Putin to cease military actions. Trump hinted at possible territorial exchanges, although it remained unclear what specific lands might be subject to such an agreement.
Before the official negotiations, Trump plans to consult with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, whom he will first inform "as an act of respect". "I will call him first... I might say 'good luck, keep fighting' or 'we can reach an agreement'," the American president commented.
Although Trump claims to get along well with Zelensky, he sharply criticized the actions of the Ukrainian leader. The American president has even made accusations that Zelensky is responsible for the outbreak of the war that began with the full-scale Russian invasion in February 2022.
The meeting was announced a week after a self-imposed deadline by Trump, in which Russia was supposed to agree to a ceasefire, otherwise risking additional sanctions from the USA.
In response to the news of the meeting in Alaska, Zelensky categorically stated that any agreements without the participation of Kyiv would be "dead decisions," emphasizing the importance of the direct Ukrainian position in negotiations.