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Trump-Putin meeting: US President Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin landed in Alaska on Friday for a high-stakes summit that could determine not only the trajectory of the war in Ukraine but also the fate of European security. The first face-to-face meeting will begin shortly where the whole world is embracing for a ceasefire. However, Trump hinted he would not make more effort if his meeting with Russian counterpart would not go well.

Before boarding Air Force One, Trump said he asssss would not negotiate on behalf of Ukraine with Putin and would let Kyiv decide whether to engage in territorial swaps with Russia. Trump said his goal was to get the two sides to start a negotiation, with any territorial swaps to be addressed then.

"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 here to get them to a table," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One.

Why Trump's remarks came as big relief to Ukraine

Trump's remarks are likely to offer some assurance to Ukraine, which is worried that the US-Russia talks could freeze the conflict at Ukraine's expense. Trump said the Russian offensive in Ukraine was likely aimed at helping to strengthen Putin's hand in any negotiations to end the war.

"I think they're trying to negotiate. He's trying to set the stage. In his mind, that helps him make a better deal. It actually hurts him, but in his mind, that helps him make a better deal if they can continue the killing," he said.

Zelenskyy says 'its time to end war'

Meanwhile, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said it was important that summit in Alaska opened up a path towards a "just peace" as well as substantive three-way talks between the leaders of Ukraine, Russia and the United States. "It is time to end the war, and the necessary steps must be taken by Russia. We are counting on America," Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram messaging app.

The US president said he expected his meeting with Putin to produce results, given the stakes involved and weakness in the Russian economy. "He's a smart guy, been doing it for a long time but so have I ... we get along, there's a good respect level on both sides, and I think, you know, something's going to come of it," he said.

Putin wants to sign deal with US: Trump

Trump said it was a good sign that Putin was bringing business executives with him from Russia, but said no deals could be made until the war was settled. "I like that 'cause they want to do business, but they're not doing business until we get the war settled," he said.

The sit-down offers Trump a chance to prove to the world that he is both a master dealmaker and a global peacemaker. He and his allies have cast him 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 US 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.

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The exclusion of Zelenskyy from the summit also deals a heavy blow to the West's policy of “nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine” and invites the possibility that Trump could agree to a deal that Ukraine does not want.

Any success is far from assured, especially as Russia and Ukraine remain far apart in their demands for peace. Putin has long resisted any temporary ceasefire, linking it to a halt in Western arms supplies and a freeze on Ukraine's mobilization efforts, which were conditions rejected by Kyiv and its Western allies. "HIGH STAKES!!!" Trump posted on Truth Social as his motorcade idled outside the White House shortly after sunrise in Washington. An hour later, he waved as he boarded Air Force One but did not speak to reporters.

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Trump on Thursday said there was a 25 per cent chance that the summit would fail, but he also floated the idea that if the meeting succeeds, he could bring Zelenskyy to Alaska for a subsequent, three-way meeting, a possibility that Russia hasn't agreed to.

When asked in Anchorage about Trump's estimate of a 25 per cent chance of failure, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told reporters that Russia “never plans ahead.”
"We know that we have arguments, a clear, understandable position. We will state it,” he said in footage posted to the Russian Foreign Ministry's Telegram channel.

Trump said in a Fox News radio interview Thursday that he didn't know if they would get “an immediate ceasefire” but he wanted a broad peace deal done quickly. That seemingly echoes Putin's longtime argument that Russia favors a comprehensive deal to end the fighting, reflecting its demands, not a temporary halt to hostilities.

The Kremlin said Trump and Putin will first sit down for a one-on-one discussion, followed by the two delegations meeting and talks continuing over “a working breakfast.” They are then expected to hold a joint press conference.

(With inputs from agencies)