U.S. President Donald Trump welcomed Russian President Vladimir Putin for groundbreaking talks that could decide whether a truce is possible in Europe’s deadliest conflict since World War II.
Earlier on Friday, Trump said that he would walk away from his summit with Putin if the talks went poorly.
Fox News previewed the comments on U.S. social media company X, citing an interview with anchor Bret Baier in which Trump said he "would walk" if the meeting did not go well.
"We’re going for a meeting with President Putin in Alaska. And I think it’s going to work out very well and if it doesn’t, I’m going to head back home real fast," Trump was quoted as saying by FOX News White House Correspondent Jacqui Heinrich on X.
Earlier in the day, Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One that any possible territorial swaps between Ukraine and Russia would be up to Kyiv to decide.
"They'll be discussed, but I've got to let Ukraine make that decision. And I think they'll make a proper decision, but I'm not here to negotiate for Ukraine. I'm going to get them at a table,” Trump said when asked if territorial swaps were on the table. Zelenskyy has consistently opposed any territorial concessions.
Meanwhile, Washington is weighing the threat of sanctions against Russian oil companies Rosneft and Lukoil as part of a menu of options to push President Vladimir Putin to accept a ceasefire with Ukraine, Bloomberg News reported on Friday, citing people familiar with the matter.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Wednesday that Trump had expressed readiness to provide his country with security guarantees. Asked if security guarantees for Ukraine are possible, Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One they are, "along with Europe and other countries,” but "not in the form of NATO,” saying such membership for Ukraine is "not going to happen.”
Ahead of the meeting, Trump posted on the U.S. social media company Truth Social: "HIGH STAKES!!!”
The two leaders are scheduled to meet at 11.30 a.m. local time (1930GMT) in Anchorage, the largest city in the U.S. state of Alaska, marking the first talks between sitting U.S. and Russian presidents since the Russia-Ukraine war began in February 2022.
Accompanying Trump are several senior U.S. officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, and special envoy Steve Witkoff.
Trump's allies have cast the U.S. president as a heavyweight negotiator who can find a way to bring the slaughter to a close, something he used to boast he could do quickly. For Putin, a summit with Trump offers a long-sought opportunity to try to negotiate a deal that would cement Russia's gains, block Kyiv's bid to join the NATO military alliance and eventually pull Ukraine back into Moscow's orbit.
There are significant risks for Trump: By bringing Putin onto U.S. soil, the president is giving Russia's leader the validation he desires after his ostracization following his invasion of Ukraine 3 1/2 years ago. Any success is far from assured, especially as Russia and Ukraine remain far apart in their demands for peace.
