WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump said on Monday (Aug 11) that both Ukraine and Russia would need to cede land to each other to end the war, adding that his upcoming talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin would gauge whether a deal was possible.
Speaking at a White House press conference, Trump said his meeting with Putin in Alaska on Friday would be a “feel-out” session to assess the Russian leader’s willingness to make peace.
“I’m going in to speak to Vladimir Putin, and I’m going to be telling him, you’ve got to end this war,” Trump told reporters. “You’ve got to end it.”
POSSIBLE THREE-WAY MEETING
Trump said a future meeting could involve Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and could become a three-way session including himself and Putin. He added that he planned to speak with European leaders shortly after his talks with Putin, with the goal of securing a speedy ceasefire.
The US president has floated the idea of land swaps before, but neither Kyiv nor Moscow has expressed willingness to cede territory. European governments have warned that major concessions to Russia could create long-term security risks for the West.
