President Donald Trump stated on Thursday that Russian President Vladimir Putin seems enthusiastic about pursuing a peace agreement, suggesting that the threat of sanctions may have played a role in Moscow’s willingness to meet.
Trump is scheduled to meet Putin in Alaska on Friday, marking their first in-person discussion since the onset of the Russia-Ukraine conflict more than three years ago.
“He really seems, I believe, convinced he will make a deal. He’s going to make a deal. We’ll see,” Trump shared during a Thursday interview.
He elaborated that this upcoming meeting sets the stage for a potential follow-up, acknowledging that there’s about a 25% chance it might not yield successful outcomes. His intention is to arrange another meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky if necessary.
“Depending on how my meeting goes, I’ll be calling President Zelensky to discuss where we can meet,” he added.
Moreover, Trump speculated that any peace deal could involve some territorial adjustments benefiting both Russia and Ukraine.
“The second meeting will be extremely significant because that’s when they might come to an agreement. I don’t want to say ‘divvy things up,’ but it might not be a bad way to put it, alright? There will be some give and take regarding boundaries and land,” Trump noted. “This meeting is like a chess game.”
Meanwhile, Putin commended Trump for his “sincere efforts” towards ending the conflict, suggesting that the peace discussions could also involve nuclear arms agreements.
“The current American administration is, in my view, making genuinely earnest efforts to stop hostilities and establish agreements benefiting all parties involved,” Putin commented.
He expressed hopes that the meeting with Trump would “create lasting conditions for peace between our nations, as well as in Europe, and overall in the world.”
Putin mentioned that if the talks succeed, he would be open to a “next stage” of discussions with the U.S. aimed at agreements surrounding the control of strategic offensive weapons.
His remarks seem to refer to the New START treaty, which is a nuclear arms reduction agreement between the U.S. and Russia, established in 2011 and expiring in February 2026.
New START Treaty Overview
Signed: April 8, 2010, by Presidents Obama and Medvedev.
Entered into force: February 5, 2011.
Extended: It was mutually extended in 2021 to remain active until February 5, 2026.
Purpose: Limits each side to 1,550 deployed strategic warheads, 700 missiles and bombers, and 800 total launchers, with rigorous verification procedures, including data exchanges and onsite inspections.
Expiration: The treaty is indeed set to expire in February 2026.
