Former U.S. President Donald Trump informed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and several European leaders on Wednesday that his primary goal for the upcoming Friday summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin is to reach a ceasefire and achieve a “better understanding” of the prospects for a comprehensive peace agreement, according to two sources cited by Axios.
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The report noted that Zelenskyy cautioned Trump during the virtual meeting that “Putin cannot be trusted,” urging increased pressure on Moscow and rejecting any legal recognition of the Ukrainian territories occupied by Russia.
According to the report, Trump told the leaders he could not resolve issues related to territorial disputes but hinted that land swaps might be part of a peace deal, emphasizing that such discussions should take place directly between Putin and Zelenskyy.
Ahead of his planned meeting with Putin in Alaska, Trump participated on Wednesday in a virtual conference with Zelenskyy and other European leaders to coordinate positions.
The anticipated talks between Trump and Putin will mark the first direct meeting between the presidents of Russia and the United States since June 2021, when Putin met then-U.S. President Joe Biden in Geneva, Switzerland. It will also be the first time a Russian president has set foot in Alaska since the Russian Empire sold the territory to the United States in 1867.
Separately, Politico reported that Trump expressed his willingness to provide security guarantees to Ukraine—but outside the framework of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)—according to three sources, including a European diplomat, a British official, and a person familiar with the details of the call between Trump and European leaders.
These sources indicated that Washington might play a role in providing Ukraine with means to deter any future Russian aggression if a ceasefire is reached. However, Trump stressed that this commitment would not be part of NATO and did not specify exactly what he meant by “security guarantees,” merely floating the idea in general terms.
Trump also clarified that he would not continue supplying weapons or deploying U.S. forces directly to Ukraine but would sell arms to Europe for Kyiv’s use—likely in limited quantities—which could disappoint Ukraine’s supporters seeking stronger U.S. guarantees to deter Russia in the future.
