PRESSURE is building ahead of a high-stakes summit in Alaska between the United States and Russia, with Donald Trump warning Vladimir Putin he had “only one chance” as Moscow pressed on with major battlefield gains in Ukraine.
Putin and Trump are set to meet Friday at an air base in the far-northern U.S. state — the first time the Russian leader will set foot on Western soil since his February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, which has claimed tens of thousands of lives.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who has refused to cede territory to Russia, spoke by phone with Trump on Wednesday, as did several European leaders. Following the calls, they expressed confidence the U.S. president would push for a ceasefire rather than concessions from Kyiv.
Trump, however, offered mixed signals — suggesting he could quickly arrange a three-way meeting with both Zelensky and Putin, while also warning he would not tolerate stalling from the Kremlin.
“There may be no second meeting because, if I feel that it’s not appropriate to have it,” Trump told reporters, warning Russia of “severe consequences” if it does not halt its offensive. “If the first one goes okay, we’ll have a quick second one” with both leaders, he added.
