Donald Trump contends on Saturday said that the best way of solving the “horrible” conflict between Russia and Ukraine is not a simple ceasefire, but a peace deal instead.
He made the remarks on Truth Social after he wrapped up his summit in Alaska with Russian President Vladimir Putin and conferred with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and leaders from Europe.
“A great and very successful day in Alaska! The meeting with President Vladimir Putin of Russia went very well, as did a late night phone call with President Zelenskyy of Ukraine, and various European Leaders, including the highly respected Secretary General of NATO. It was determined by all that the best way to end the horrific war between Russia and Ukraine is to go directly to a Peace Agreement, which would end the war, and not a mere Ceasefire Agreement, which often times do not hold up," Trump wrote on his Truth Social account.
Trump called to say that Zelensky, the President of Ukraine, will be at the Oval Office in Washington at 3:30 on Monday, and if things matched up, the discussion with Putin could follow. He urged that such discussions could save millions of lives and thanked those who were paying attention.
The meeting between the American and Russian leaders ended without a commitment to halt Moscow's invasion, forcing European countries to determine the best ways to increase pressure on the Kremlin. The two presidents met for three hours and both suggested there were points of agreement, but both also said no progress had been made toward ending a conflict that has taken the lives of tens of thousands of people and devastated Ukraine.
Zelensky revealed that he will be going to Washington on Monday, while European leaders had an extended call on Saturday following Trump's readout from the summit.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump had a "lengthy call" with Zelensky while flying back to Washington. A spokesperson from the European Commission said that afterward, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, and European Commission (EC) President Ursula von der Leyen all joined the call.
Zelensky said Trump told him about the “main points” of the Alaska summit. “On Monday, I will meet with President Trump in Washington, DC, to discuss all of the details regarding ending the killing and the war,” he said. “I am grateful for the invitation.”
After the talks in Alaska, Trump and Putin appeared before reporters to give statements but declined to take questions.
“We’re not there yet, but we’ve made progress. There’s no deal until there’s a deal,” Trump said.
He described the meeting as “extremely productive” and said “many points” had been agreed, though he gave no details.
“There are just a very few that are left, some are not that significant, one is probably the most significant,” he added, without giving specifics.
The old Cold War air base chosen to hold the summit emphasized the stakes behind the talks, but a lack of a lasting ceasefire underscored the difficulty of reaching peace. Trump asserted that the next step would be his meeting with Zelensky on Monday in the Oval Office, and perhaps a second meeting to follow would be with Putin in Washington.
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