Trump Warns Of “Severe Consequences” For Russia If Talks Fail To Reach Ceasefire
President Trump warned Wednesday there would be "very severe" consequences for Russia if a ceasefire deal is not agreed upon during the upcoming meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday. However, he admitted that preventing Putin from targeting civilians is unlikely, based on their past conversations.
The comments came about an hour after Trump spoke virtually with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders, who urged him not to unilaterally strike a deal with Russia. Trump characterized it as a “good call” that he would rate as a “10.”
CEASEFIRE, NOT PEACE DEAL
Zelensky said that President Trump “expressed his support” for “a ceasefire first, then security guarantees" ahead of the Friday summit at the Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage.
"I told the U.S. president and all our European colleagues that Putin is bluffing," Zelensky said after the meeting. "He is trying to apply pressure before the meeting in Alaska along all parts of the Ukrainian front. Russia is trying to show that it can occupy all of Ukraine."
Zelensky has not been invited to Friday’s talks, but Trump said he needs a 1:1 with Putin first to ensure he is in the right place to hold serious ceasefire talks between Russia and Ukraine directly. Trump said Wednesday afternoon that he expects his upcoming meeting with Russia will be “setting the table” for a second meeting to follow shortly after with Putin and Zelensky, and possibly himself.
UP NEXT
While Trump said there would be “very serious consequences” if Putin does not agree to a ceasefire after the meeting on Friday, he did not specify what the consequences would be.
Trump and others have previously suggested territorial swaps between the warring nations as a way to end the three-and-a-half-year conflict that began when Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. But it will likely be extremely difficult to find some type of “land swap” that both Ukraine and Russia would agree to. Russia has been making battlefield gains in recent days.
