U.S. President Donald Trump has issued a stern warning to Russian President Vladimir Putin, stating that Russia will face “severe consequences” if it refuses to agree to a peace deal in Ukraine.
The warning comes just days before their scheduled summit in Alaska on Friday, a meeting widely expected to focus on achieving a ceasefire and reducing tensions in the ongoing conflict.
While Trump did not provide specifics about the consequences, he has previously threatened economic sanctions and other measures should negotiations fail.
He also hinted that a successful meeting in Alaska could quickly lead to a second round of talks involving Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
“If the first one goes well, we’ll have a quick second one,” Trump said, signaling a potential rapid diplomatic push to secure progress.
Trump made the comments following a virtual conference hosted by Germany, where he joined European leaders and President Zelenskiy to discuss key red lines ahead of the summit.
The discussions aimed to reassure Kyiv and European capitals that U.S.-Russia negotiations would not result in territorial concessions at Ukraine’s expense.
“We had a very good call. He was on the call. President Zelenskiy was on the call. I would rate it a 10, very friendly,” Trump said.
French President Emmanuel Macron emphasized that Trump agreed Ukraine must actively participate in any decisions about ceding territory.
Zelenskiy confirmed that Trump supports security guarantees in any post-war settlement.
Macron added, “President Trump clearly stated that the United States seeks a ceasefire during the Alaska meeting.
Additionally, territories belonging to Ukraine cannot be negotiated without Ukraine’s president.”
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz reinforced this stance, insisting that borders cannot change by force and warning that the U.S. and Europe would intensify pressure on Moscow if Alaska talks fail.
Meanwhile, Zelenskiy accused Putin of bluffing, claiming, “I told the U.S. president and our European colleagues that Putin is bluffing about his stated wish to end the war.
He is trying to apply pressure along all parts of the Ukrainian front. Russia wants to show it can occupy all of Ukraine.”
Despite these warnings, Russia has maintained its position, demanding that Ukraine withdraw from four partially occupied regions and abandon its NATO ambitions terms Kyiv has rejected as equivalent to surrender.
The Alaska summit represents a critical opportunity to influence the course of Europe’s largest conflict since World War II.
The war has already claimed tens of thousands of lives, displaced millions, and reshaped regional security dynamics.
World leaders are now watching closely, hoping that the upcoming talks can pave the way for a ceasefire and meanin
gful dialogue.