With two days until his high stakes summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, President Donald Trump on Wednesday threatened “severe consequences” against Russia if Putin did not agree to stop his war on Ukraine.
Speaking at the Kennedy Center in Washington, Trump was asked if the Russian President would have any consequences if he did not agree to a ceasefire.
“There will be consequences,” Trump said but did not elaborate on what those consequences would be.
The comments came after a virtual meeting between Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European allies. Trump said the allies were “very friendly” and European leaders said Trump told them he would press Putin for a ceasefire.
Speaking in Berlin, Zelenskyy said he believes Putin is bluffing.
“I told my colleagues, the U.S. president and our European friends, that Putin definitely does not want peace. He wants the occupation of our country. And we all really understand that. Putin will not be able to deceive anyone. We need further pressure for peace. Not only American, but also European sanctions,” Zelenskyy said.
“We talked about the meeting in Alaska,” Zelenskyy added. “We hope that the central topic of the meeting will be a ceasefire. An immediate ceasefire. The U.S. president has repeatedly said this. He suggested to me that after the meeting in Alaska we will have contact. And we will discuss all the results, if there are any. And we will determine the next mutual steps.”
Putin and Trump are scheduled to meet at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, a White House official confirmed to Fwrd Axis News.
The White House has downplayed the meeting as a “listening exercise” with Trump saying his goal is to get a meeting between Zelenskyy and Putin as well as the U.S. if it is needed.
“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 said.
