'Putin wanted all of Ukraine': Trump says there will be NO decisions on Ukraine's territory without Ukraine ahead of meeting with Putin
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "'Putin wanted all of Ukraine': Trump says there will be NO decisions on Ukraine's territory without Ukraine ahead of meeting with Putin")
Trump says there will be NO decisions on Ukraine's territory without Ukraine ahead of meeting with Putin Photograph: (Reuters)
President Trump heads to Alaska for talks with Putin, aiming to bring both sides to the table on Ukraine. He emphasised that territorial decisions will be left to Kyiv alone.
US President Donald Trump is on his way to Anchorage, Alaska, for a face-to-face meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in what Washington hopes could be a turning point in efforts to end the war in Ukraine. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump said the Alaska summit’s main goal was “to get them at table,” stressing that no decision on Ukraine’s territory would be made without Kyiv’s consent.
“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,” Trump said. “I’m here to get them at a table. And I think you have two sides. Look, Vladimir Putin wanted to take all of Ukraine. If I wasn’t president, he would, right now, be taking all of Ukraine, but he’s not going to do it,” he added.
No firm promises on Ukraine’s security
Trump stopped short of pledging US-led security guarantees for Ukraine as part of any deal, saying he was open to the idea but believed Europe should take the lead. “Maybe,” he said when asked whether Washington would put such guarantees on the table. He also ruled out Ukraine joining NATO as part of the agreement. “Not in the form of NATO. There are certain things that aren’t going to happen,” Trump said.
Putin’s offensive and the road to talks
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Commenting on Russia’s continued military push, Trump suggested Putin might be trying to use the offensive as leverage. “I think they’re trying to negotiate. He’s trying to set a stage. In his mind, that helps him make a better deal,” Trump said. “It actually hurts him, but in his mind that helps him make a better deal if they can continue the killing. Maybe it’s a part of the world, maybe it’s just his fabric, his genes, his genetics … but I’ll be talking to him about it.”
