President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that both Russia and Ukraine could be expected to cede territory under a possible peace agreement, as he prepares for a high-stakes meeting with Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday.
“This is really a feel-out meeting,” Trump told reporters at the White House, adding, “President Putin invited me to get involved. He wants to get involved, I think. I believe he wants to get it over with. Now, I’ve said that a few times, and I’ve been disappointed.” He predicted he would know within “the first two minutes” whether a deal could be struck.
The president, who has promised since his campaign to end the war “within 24 hours” of taking office, said he hopes to arrange a follow-up meeting between Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. “The next meeting will be with Zelensky and Putin, or Zelensky and Putin and me. I’ll be there if they need. But I want to have a meeting set up between the two leaders, because there’ll be some land swapping going on,” he said. “Good stuff, not bad stuff. Also some bad stuff for both. There’s good and there’s bad.”
Trump’s comments are likely to fuel concern in Kyiv and among European allies that any US-brokered deal could favour Moscow’s territorial claims. Zelensky has repeatedly vowed never to accept Russian annexation of Ukrainian land or abandon his NATO ambitions. European leaders, alarmed at not being invited to the Alaska summit, are set to hold virtual talks on Wednesday with Trump, Zelensky and NATO officials to discuss “territorial claims and security.”
Trump, who has alternately criticised and courted both leaders, refused to commit to Zelensky’s participation in Friday’s talks. He said the Ukrainian president had been to “a lot of meetings” without ending the war, contrasting his record with Putin’s decades in power. “I’d like to see a ceasefire. I’d like to see the best deal that can be made for both parties,” Trump said.
Putin is expected to insist on retaining all territory Russia currently holds and blocking Ukraine from joining NATO. Ukrainian forces are struggling to contain Russian advances along the 1,000-kilometre front, and recent days have seen stepped-up strikes from both sides, including drone attacks deep inside Russia.
While Trump has threatened more sanctions on Moscow if no progress is made, he also hinted that normalised trade ties could follow a successful agreement. “Lots of luck, keep fighting. Or I may say, we can make a deal,” he remarked.
“This is really a feel-out meeting,” Trump told reporters at the White House, adding, “President Putin invited me to get involved. He wants to get involved, I think. I believe he wants to get it over with. Now, I’ve said that a few times, and I’ve been disappointed.” He predicted he would know within “the first two minutes” whether a deal could be struck.
US President Trump said that both Ukraine and Russia would have to cede land to each other to end the war and that his talks with Russian President Putin would be aimed at taking the temperature on a possible deal https://t.co/olmlqpjTyM pic.twitter.com/OJjii9nwNJ
— Reuters (@Reuters) August 11, 2025
The president, who has promised since his campaign to end the war “within 24 hours” of taking office, said he hopes to arrange a follow-up meeting between Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. “The next meeting will be with Zelensky and Putin, or Zelensky and Putin and me. I’ll be there if they need. But I want to have a meeting set up between the two leaders, because there’ll be some land swapping going on,” he said. “Good stuff, not bad stuff. Also some bad stuff for both. There’s good and there’s bad.”
Trump’s comments are likely to fuel concern in Kyiv and among European allies that any US-brokered deal could favour Moscow’s territorial claims. Zelensky has repeatedly vowed never to accept Russian annexation of Ukrainian land or abandon his NATO ambitions. European leaders, alarmed at not being invited to the Alaska summit, are set to hold virtual talks on Wednesday with Trump, Zelensky and NATO officials to discuss “territorial claims and security.”
Trump, who has alternately criticised and courted both leaders, refused to commit to Zelensky’s participation in Friday’s talks. He said the Ukrainian president had been to “a lot of meetings” without ending the war, contrasting his record with Putin’s decades in power. “I’d like to see a ceasefire. I’d like to see the best deal that can be made for both parties,” Trump said.
Putin is expected to insist on retaining all territory Russia currently holds and blocking Ukraine from joining NATO. Ukrainian forces are struggling to contain Russian advances along the 1,000-kilometre front, and recent days have seen stepped-up strikes from both sides, including drone attacks deep inside Russia.
While Trump has threatened more sanctions on Moscow if no progress is made, he also hinted that normalised trade ties could follow a successful agreement. “Lots of luck, keep fighting. Or I may say, we can make a deal,” he remarked.
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