By 7th Army Joint Multinational Training Command from Grafenwoehr, Germany
On the eve of high-stakes talks between U.S. and Russian leaders in Alaska aimed at ending the ongoing war in Ukraine, U.S. President Donald Trump expressed confidence that his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, is ready to negotiate.
In an interview with Fox News Radio on Thursday, Trump said he believed Putin had initially sought full territorial control in Ukraine but is now willing to engage in talks, citing their personal relationship as a key factor.
“I think he wants to get it done. I really feel he wanted the whole thing,” Trump told host Brian Kilmeade. “I think if it weren’t me, if it were somebody else, he would not be talking to anybody.”
Trump and Putin are scheduled to meet in Alaska on Friday to discuss the war, which has now surpassed three years. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is not expected to participate in the initial meeting. However, Trump has said that if Putin shows genuine willingness to negotiate peace, a subsequent summit involving Zelenskyy would be arranged.
“I don’t know that we’re going to get an immediate ceasefire, but I think it’s going to come,” Trump said. “See, I’m more interested in an immediate peace deal – getting peace fast. And depending on what happens with my meeting, I’m going to be calling up President Zelenskyy and [saying] let’s get him over to wherever we’re going to meet.”
Trump floated the possibility of remaining in Alaska for the follow-up meeting but added that if his conversation with Putin fails to produce results, he would abandon the effort entirely.
“If it doesn’t go well, I’m not calling anyone. I’m going home,” he stated, signaling a level of caution based on past frustrations with Putin’s broken promises.
Reporting from Washington, DC, Al Jazeera’s Shihab Rattansi said Trump has made clear that the success of the Alaska summit hinges entirely on his impression of Putin’s sincerity.
“He very much made it clear that what success means in this context is him being convinced that Vladimir Putin is serious about peace, and then arranging a second meeting that would involve the Ukrainians,” Rattansi explained.
Earlier on Thursday, Putin praised Trump’s diplomatic efforts, describing them as “energetic and sincere attempts to end the fighting.”
Meanwhile, in London, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. The two leaders discussed potential long-term security guarantees for Ukraine that could follow a peace settlement.
Zelenskyy later posted on X, formerly Twitter, that the UK and U.S. could help deliver a lasting peace if Russia is persuaded to halt the violence and commit to genuine negotiations.
In London, Al Jazeera’s Jonah Hull reported that the Zelenskyy-Starmer meeting appeared intended as a symbolic show of unity ahead of the Alaska talks.
“There was a sense of some optimism,” Hull noted, following a trilateral call on Wednesday between Trump, Zelenskyy, and several European leaders. “Trump took a somewhat stronger line against Putin than was expected, saying the Russian president faced severe consequences if he didn’t meaningfully engage in ceasefire talks.”
The upcoming Alaska summit marks one of the most significant diplomatic attempts to end the Russia-Ukraine war since its onset, with observers closely watching to see if Trump’s personal diplomacy can break the deadlock.
