Donald Trump has revealed what he will do if the scheduled 'D-Day' meeting with Vladimir Putin doesn't go well.
The 79-year-old will have a face-to-face meeting with Putin today to explore options for a ceasefire in the three-and-a-half-year-old conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
The summit, which will take place at the highly secured Elmendorf-Richardson base near Anchorage, Alaska, could be a defining moment for the future of Ukraine.
Trump, who is hopeful the talks will succeed, expressed confidence that he and the Russian president will "get it done” and find a path toward ending the war.
However, he also made it clear that "if it’s a bad meeting," he will not "call anyone," and there would be no immediate plans for further engagement, according to Yahoo.
He also indicated that if the meeting goes well, he would reach out to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for a second round of talks. He mentioned there are “three possible locations for a follow-up meeting,” but did not specify whether those locations would be in the U.S., Russia, or Ukraine.
The meeting will also touch on trade, economic cooperation, and territorial issues, with the 47th president acknowledging that a peace deal may involve some territorial exchanges between Ukraine and Russia.
“It’s complicated. We’re going to get some switched. There’ll be some swapping of territories to the betterment of both,” he said, The Sun.
The discussions will then be followed by a joint press conference, though Trump is uncertain whether it will include Putin or whether he will hold an individual press conference afterward.
While Trump remains optimistic about the potential for peace, his stance is met with caution from Zelenskyy and European leaders.
Zelenskyy, who has expressed skepticism about Russia's intentions, warned that Putin is "bluffing" and using pressure tactics on Ukraine. He also reiterated his firm stance against any territorial concessions, emphasizing that Ukraine will not "give [its] land to the occupier."
The Ukrainian leader's position aligns with the red lines set by European leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
Macron confirmed that Trump had made clear that the US is focused on achieving a ceasefire, and territories belonging to Ukraine can only be negotiated by its president.
Merz added that if Russia does not show a commitment to peace, "the United States and we Europeans should increase the pressure".