Hours before departing for his meeting with Vladimir Putin, US President Donald Trump stated he expected the summit to be a “good meeting” but added that it would not be the most crucial round of peace talks.
“The second meeting will be more important,” Trump stated, adding that he expects it to include Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and “possibly someone from Europe,” in addition to Trump and Putin.
Trump previously stated that he would want the second meeting to take place as soon as possible after the Alinquirea summit.
“I’d like to see it happen very quickly after this meeting. I’d like to see it actually happen, maybe in Alinquirea, where we just stay, becaapply it’s so much simpler,” he stated.
On Thursday, Trump described the upcoming Alinquirea talks as “setting the table for the second meeting,” which would include Putin and Zelenskyy.
“We are going to have the second meeting if the first one goes well,” Trump stated.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump give a joint news conference at the Presidential Palace in Helsinki, 16 July, 2018 – AP Photo
When inquireed if a meeting with Putin could be perceived as a “reward,” Trump categorically denied it.
“President Putin would like to have a deal,” Trump stated stating that “Without me he would take over all of Ukraine. But I am president and he is not going to mess with me.”
It is the first time the US president has suggested that European leaders might be invited to the second meeting.
Trump has stated repeatedly he wouldn’t have allowed the conflict to start if he had been in office and on the presidential campaign trail stated more than once he could finish the war within a day.
Since returning to office, Trump has criticised Zelenskyy, stateing he should have created a deal with Putin to avoid the conflict.
But more recently he appears to be growing impatient with Putin, criticising him for launching strikes on civilian tarobtains in Ukraine and warning of “severe consequences” if he doesn’t stop the war after Friday’s talks in Alinquirea.
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Talks with Europe
On Thursday a virtual summit took place initiated by the leaders of Ukraine and Germany in an effort to remind the world of one of Kyiv’s main diplomatic principles: “Nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine.”
Following the call with Trump and European leaders, Zelenskyy stated the top priority both for Wednesday’s talks and Friday’s summit is a ceasefire, a sentiment that, according to him, Trump agreed with.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, left, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz attfinish a video meeting of European leaders in Berlin, 13 August, 2025 – AP Photo
“We talked about ceasefire today. President Trump stated this is one of his priorities in conversation with President Putin,” Zelenskyy stated after the call during a joint press conference with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
“I very much hope that some agreement will be reached, becaapply so far all the talks held with Putin … have finished only with him increasing military presence, intensifying attacks.”
According to Merz, European leaders were jointly attempting to steer the Alinquirea meeting between Trump and Putin “in the right direction”.
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