Trump Discusses Potential Peace Deal with Putin
On Thursday, former President Donald Trump shared that Russian President Vladimir Putin seems eager to explore a peace agreement. Trump noted that the outlook on sanctions played a significant role in Moscow’s willingness to engage in discussions.
Trump is set to meet Putin on Friday in Alaska, which will be their first face-to-face encounter since the Russian-Ukrainian war started over three years ago.
“He really seems confident about making a deal. I think he’s going to go for it, and we’ll see what happens,” Trump stated during an interview.
He elaborated that the upcoming bilateral meeting might lead to a follow-up, mentioning that there’s a chance—perhaps around 25%—that this initial meeting may not conclude successfully. Trump expressed hopes for a future discussion that would also include Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
“Depending on how things go, I’ll reach out to President Zelensky, and we can decide from there,” he said.
In addition to the summit discussions, Trump suggested that the peace talks may involve “some arrangements regarding territories to improve the situation.” He emphasized the importance of the second meeting, likening the negotiations to a chess match.
“The follow-up meeting will be essential. They may need to negotiate boundaries and land. It’s a matter of give-and-take, I suppose,” he added.
Putin has commended Trump for his sincere efforts toward resolving the conflict, stating that potential agreements might even cover nuclear weapon exchanges.
“The current U.S. administration seems to be genuinely trying to resolve the hostilities and reach an agreement that could interest all involved parties,” Putin remarked.
“I hope that our talks will establish lasting peace conditions not just in our region, but throughout the world,” he continued.
If the discussions prove successful, Putin expressed eagerness for “the next phase” of negotiations about controlling strategic offensive weapons.
His remarks appear to reference the New START Treaty, originally signed in April 2010 and set to expire in February 2026. This treaty aims to limit operational strategic warheads and is crucial for nuclear arms control discussions between the U.S. and Russia.
New START Treaty Overview
- Signed by: Barack Obama and Dmitry Medvedev on April 8, 2010.
- Effective from: February 5, 2011.
- Extension: Extended by mutual agreement until February 5, 2026.
- Purpose: Limit to 1,550 deployed strategic warheads, 700 missiles and bombers, and 800 total launchers, along with verification processes.
- Expiry date: Expected in February 2026.
