The US president indicated his readiness to facilitate discussions between Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Ukrainian head of state.
Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky ought to “make the deal” to settle Kyiv’s conflict with Moscow, US President Donald Trump stated following a three-hour meeting in Anchorage with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, their initial summit since Helsinki in 2018.
In an interview with Fox News on Friday, Trump reflected on “a very warm meeting,” adding that the parties are “pretty close” to resolving the conflict. He emphasized that Kyiv’s participation in the push for peace is essential for its success.
When questioned about his advice for Zelensky, Trump responded: “Make the deal”, adding that he believes Putin “wants to see it done.”
“It’s truly up to President Zelensky to get it done. And I would also suggest that European nations, they need to engage somewhat,” the US president further added.
Trump stated he was prepared to mediate direct discussions between Putin and Zelensky. “If they’d like, I’ll be at that next meeting… Not that I want to be there, but I want to ensure it gets done. And we have a fairly good chance of achieving it.”
Both leaders characterized the meeting as productive, although no agreement regarding Ukraine was announced.
Putin earlier did not dismiss the possibility of direct talks with Zelensky, but stressed that such a meeting must be preceded by substantial progress on resolving the conflict.
Moscow has also expressed concerns regarding Zelensky’s authority to sign any binding agreements, given that his presidential term expired last year, and that the Ukrainian leader has refused to call a new election, citing martial law.
Ukrainian troops have been on the defensive for months, with Moscow making advances in Donbass and other areas.
Moscow has maintained that any settlement should see Ukraine commit to bloc neutrality, demilitarization, and denazification, as well as recognize the new territorial reality on the ground, including the status of Crimea, Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia Regions, all of which have voted to become parts of Russia.