United States President Donald Trump has warned of “very severe consequences” if Russian President Vladimir Putin refuses to end the war in Ukraine following their upcoming summit in Alaska. Trump made the comments on Wednesday after holding a virtual meeting with European leaders, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who pressed the US president on the need to ensure that any peace deal does not sideline Kyiv.
Trump, who has threatened tougher sanctions against Moscow in the past without following through, did not elaborate on what the consequences might be. Trump, who described the call as “very good” and “a 10”, said he would also propose a three-way meeting between himself, Putin, and Zelenskyy “almost immediately” if Friday’s summit with the Russian leader goes well. “Now, there may be no second meeting because if I feel that it’s not appropriate to have it because I didn’t get the answers that we have to have, then we’re not going to have a second meeting,” Trump told reporters at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC.
In a joint statement issued after the virtual summit, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and French President Emmanuel Macron said that Russia should face tougher sanctions if it fails to agree to a ceasefire on Friday and that Kyiv must also be given “robust and credible security guarantees”. “They were clear that the path to peace in Ukraine cannot be decided without Ukraine,” the statement released on behalf of the European leaders said. “It was necessary to continue an approach that combined active diplomacy, support to Ukraine and pressure on Russia. A diplomatic solution must protect Ukraine’s and Europe’s vital security interests.”
Zelenskyy accused Putin of “bluffing” about pursuing peace. “He is trying to apply pressure before the meeting in Alaska along all parts of the Ukrainian front,” Zelenskyy said. “Russia is trying to show that it can occupy all of Ukraine.” Zelenskyy expressed his hope that the Trump-Putin summit would focus on an “immediate ceasefire”. “Sanctions must be in place and must be strengthened if Russia does not agree to a ceasefire,” he added.
Merz, who described the virtual meeting as “exceptionally constructive”, said that while Ukraine is willing to negotiate, “legal recognition of Russian occupation is not up for debate”. “The principle that borders cannot be changed by force must continue to apply,” Merz said. “Negotiations must include robust security guarantees for Kyiv,” the German leader added. “The Ukrainian armed forces must be able and remain able to effectively defend the sovereignty of their country. They must also be able to count on Western aid in the long term.”
The Trump-Putin summit has been a cause for anxiety in Kyiv and Europe more widely, after Trump suggested that both Ukraine and Russia would have to swap land if a truce is to be reached. Speaking from the United Kingdom on Wednesday, JD Vance, the US vice president, appeared to attempt to allay fears in Europe. “I just talked to him [Trump] right before I came on the stage, and he said very simply that we are going to make it our mission as an administration to bring peace to Europe once again,” Vance said.
Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday sought to downplay the relevance of Europe’s last-minute diplomatic efforts with Trump, branding them “practically insignificant”. On the battlefield, Russia on Wednesday claimed to have captured the villages of Suvorovo and Nikanorovka amid its ongoing gains in Donetsk, with the Ukrainian authorities issuing evacuation orders for about a dozen settlements. The Kremlin’s forces achieved their biggest 24-hour advance in more than a year on Tuesday, according to data from the US-based Institute for the Study of War.