Trump Proposes Three-Way Peace Talks with Putin, Zelensky After Alaska Summit
Former U.S. President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that he wants to hold a three-way meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin following his scheduled summit with Putin in Alaska this Friday.
The proposal is part of Trump’s effort to broker a ceasefire in the war that has gripped Ukraine for more than three years.
“If the first one goes okay, we’ll have a quick second one,” Trump told reporters, referring to his upcoming face-to-face with Putin in Anchorage. “I’d like to do it almost immediately — a quick second meeting between President Putin, President Zelensky, and myself, if they’d like me there.”
Trump’s comments came after a joint call with European leaders, including Zelensky, amid new concerns over Russia’s aggressive push into eastern Ukraine. On Tuesday, Russian forces captured approximately 110 square kilometers of Ukrainian territory — the largest one-day advance in over a year, according to AFP analysis.
The Anchorage summit marks a critical test of Trump’s campaign promise to bring the war to an end. However, Kyiv and its European allies remain wary of any potential deal that could pressure Ukraine into making territorial concessions. Notably, Zelensky was not invited to the Alaska talks.
“I have told my colleagues — the U.S. president and our European friends — that Putin definitely does not want peace,” Zelensky said following the call, which included German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, NATO officials, and EU leaders. The consensus among the Western bloc, he added, was to press Russia for a ceasefire and to warn of “severe consequences” if it refuses.
Despite Trump’s overtures, he cautioned that the proposed trilateral meeting would only go ahead if Friday’s summit with Putin yields satisfactory progress. “If I feel that it’s not appropriate because I didn’t get the answers we have to have, then we are not going to have a second meeting,” he said.
While Trump characterized the Anchorage summit as a “feel-out meeting,” he hinted at controversial proposals — including possible land swaps — as part of a broader peace framework. Chancellor Merz responded by affirming that Ukraine remains open to negotiation but ruled out recognizing any Russian-occupied territories.
On the ground, the situation remains grim. Ukrainian soldiers near Kramatorsk said they are preparing for a prolonged conflict. “Putin is massing an army, he is stockpiling weapons, he is pulling the wool over our eyes,” said Artem, a 30-year-old serviceman. “This war will likely continue for a long time.”
