Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.
Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in
Next article
The US president floated the idea that other European leaders could be invited to participate in a second meeting
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Donald Trump has said that Vladimir Putin is “not going to mess around with me”, ahead of his crunch meeting with the Russian leader in Alaska.
During a press conference at the White House, the US president also floated the idea that European leaders could be invited to participate in a second meeting, which would include Volodymyr Zelensky.
The main aim of tomorrow’s meeting is to set up talks between Putin and the Ukrainian president Mr Trump told Fox News Radio, adding that he has three locations in mind for such a meeting.
The US president, who is gearing up to meet his Russian counterpart for the first time since 2018, said that he thinks both leaders “will make peace”.
Friday’s talks between the presidents will include a one-on-one meeting, a bilateral lunch with both delegations and a press conference, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said.
Earlier on Thursday, Putin praised Mr Trump’s “sincere efforts” towards ending the war in Ukraine, telling Kremlin officials the US is making “quite energetic and sincere efforts to stop the fighting”.
The comments came after UK prime minister Sir Keir Starmer hosted Volodymyr Zelensky at Downing Street for talks, greeting the Ukrainian president with a warm hug outside his residence.
President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he would like to see a second meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Alaska.
Trump is scheduled to meet with Putin in Alaska on Friday.
“I would say that tomorrow, all I want to do is set the table for the next meeting, which should happen shortly. … I’d like to see it actually happen, maybe in Alaska,” Trump said.
Asked if Vladimir Putin has a “strong hand” entering their meeting tomorrow, Donald Trump rebuffed the suggestion and said: “Well, he came to our country.”
“I think if I weren’t president, he would take over all of Ukraine, it’s a war that should have never happened.
“If I weren’t president, in my opinion, he would much rather take over all of Ukraine but I am president and he’s not going to mess around with me.”
He also said that he hoped a second meeting would happen “very quickly” and suggested it could take place in Alaska.
Asked if the summit could see Putin provided with incentives that reward his invasion of Ukraine, Trump said: “I think that we have a situation that should never have started, it should never have started.
“It didn’t start under me, and for four years it wasn’t even discussed.
“I could see it was going to happen, after I left I could see what was happening… everybody’s to blame, Putin is to blame, they’re all to blame.”
Donald Trump has floated the idea of inviting some European leaders to a potential second meeting with Putin, which would include Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky.
Trump reiterates that he is meeting Putin “to save thousands of soldiers a week”,
Referring to tomorrow’s meeting, he said: “I think it’s going to be good”.
“But the more important meeting will be the second meeting that we’re having, we’re going to have a meeting with President Putin, President Zelenskyy, myself and maybe we’ll bring some of the European leaders, maybe not.”
He once again claimed that the conflict was “Biden’s war” and said: “It never made sense, if I was president it would never have happened.”
Taking questions from reporters, Trump said that he believes that Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky “will make peace” to end the war in Ukraine.
Asked whether he is prepared to offer Putin access to rare minerals to incentivise him to end the war in Ukraine, he said: “We’re going to see what happens, we have a big meeting.
“I think it’s going to be very important for Russia, and it’s going to be very important for us that we’re going to save a lot of lives.”
He added: “I think Putin and Zelensky will get along, I hope they’ll get along.”
Donald Trump is currently giving a press conference at the White House, on the eve of his meeting with Vladimir Putin in Alaska.
The US president is talking about the 90th anniversary of the Social Security Act, but he could take questions or divert to talk about the upcoming summit with Russia.
You can watch live here and we’ll be bringing you all the latest updates.
Russian state Duma chairman Vyacheslav Volodin met with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during an official visit to Pyongyang, the Russian parliament said on Thursday.
Volodin, a close ally of President Vladimir Putin, conveyed greetings from the Russian leader and thanked Kim for North Korea’s support of Russia’s military campaign in Ukraine.
Putin held a phone call with Kim on Tuesday and updated him on planned talks with U.S. President Donald Trump in Alaska on Friday.
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in