President Donald Trump informed European leaders on a call Wednesday that during his upcoming meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, he does not plan to discuss any potential territorial divisions, according to two European officials and three other briefed individuals.
During the call, which also included Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Trump indicated that his primary aim for the meeting with Putin is to secure a ceasefire in Ukraine, as noted by the sources.
According to European officials and other individuals briefed on the conversation, Trump and European leaders concurred that a ceasefire in Ukraine is crucial before any peace negotiations can commence. Some European leaders left the call sensing Trump’s lack of optimism about the outcome of his meeting with Putin.
The call occurred mere days before Trump’s scheduled meeting with Putin on Friday. European and Ukrainian officials have expressed apprehension about the meeting since it was announced last week. Their concerns include the possibility of Trump and Putin agreeing on a peace deal framework, involving territorial divisions, and potentially pressuring Ukraine to consent. Trump’s earlier remarks about potential “land swapping” between Russia and Ukraine particularly unsettled Zelenskyy and European leaders.
However, the two European officials and three others briefed on the call stated that all leaders concurred on Ukraine’s necessity to be included in discussions and that any territorial concessions should be Ukraine’s decision. They also agreed that if Putin refuses a ceasefire, Trump will likely impose additional sanctions on Russia.
Two additional individuals familiar with the call shared that European leaders felt encouraged by Trump’s meeting plans with Putin. One noted that achieving a ceasefire is likely Trump’s top priority. The other expressed confidence that Ukrainian territory will not be negotiated without Ukraine’s involvement.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Trump said Wednesday after the call that it was “very good” and suggested that another meeting involving Zelenskyy could quickly follow his sit-down with Putin.
“There’s a very good chance that we’re going to have a second meeting, which will be more productive than the first, because the first is I’m going to find out where we are and what we’re doing,” Trump told reporters. “I would like to do it almost immediately, and we’ll have a quick second meeting between President Putin and President Zelenskyy and myself, if they’d like to have me there.”
The president also said Russia will face “severe consequences” if Putin doesn’t agree to end the war.
Vice President JD Vance, who also participated in Wednesday’s call, said afterward during remarks to U.S. troops at RAF Fairford in the U.K. that “one of our most important shared security goals in Europe” is ending the war in Ukraine.
Carlo Angerer, Gordon Lubold and Abigail Williams contributed.
