A day after meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, US President Donald Trump on Sunday hinted at major developments with a brief and cryptic message, saying, “Big progress made on Russia, stay tuned.”
Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin met at a summit at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, on August 15. The meeting lasted about three hours and focused primarily on the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.
Hours after the Alaska summit, US President Donald Trump on Saturday said that the Russia-Ukraine conflict should be resolved through a direct peace agreement rather than a ceasefire, which he noted often fails. He expressed optimism that such diplomatic efforts could save millions of lives.
Zelensky’s US Visit
After his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, US President Donald Trump announced that he would host Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the Oval Office in Washington on August 18. Trump added that, depending on the outcome of that meeting, another round of talks with President Putin could be scheduled. As per US media reports, Trump also invited the European leaders to join Monday’s White House meeting.
Trump also held phone conversations with several European leaders, including President Zelensky and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, briefing them on the Alaska summit.
European Leaders’ Statement On Alaska Summit
Following these discussions, European leaders issued a joint statement emphasizing that the Alaska talks should be followed by broader engagement, including direct discussions with President Zelensky. They expressed readiness to work alongside Trump and Zelensky towards a potential trilateral summit with European backing.
The leaders further underlined that Russia cannot be allowed to veto Ukraine’s aspirations to join the European Union and NATO.
According to US media reports, President Donald Trump, after meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin, informed European leaders of his plan to convene a trilateral summit with Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, possibly as early as August 22.
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