DONALD Trump has said his high-stakes meeting with Vladimir Putin will be like a “chess game” – and warned there is a 25 percent chance of a total flop.
He also revealed there are already plans for a more “important” second meeting – and vowed he won’t make a deal without Volodymyr Zelensky.
AFPTrump has said his high-stakes meeting with Vladimir Putin will be like ‘chess’[/caption]
EPATrump said he does not want to give Zelensky the impression there is a second meeting[/caption]
AFPThe President suggested the fighting could not be stopped immediately[/caption]
Trump and Putin will sit down “one-on-one” for crunch talks in Alaska tomorrow at 11:30am local time – 8:30pm UK time.
Speaking with just hours to go, the President said he thought Putin would make a deal, but insisted it won’t come until Zelensky is in the room.
Trump told Fox News Radio: “The second meeting is going to be very, very important, because that’s going to be a meeting where they make a deal.
“And I don’t want to use the word ‘divvy’ things up. But you know, to a certain extent, it’s not a bad term, okay?”
The President seems to believe the foundations for some kind of peace deal are on the cards tomorrow – but isn’t convinced that fighting can end straight away.
He said: “I don’t know that we’re going to get an immediate ceasefire but I think it’s going to come.
“I’m more interested in an immediate peace deal – getting peace fast.
“Depending on what happens with my meeting, I’m going to be calling President Zelensky and let’s get him over to wherever we’re going to meet.”
He added: “It would be certainly convenient if we had a very good meeting because I’m going to let them negotiate their deal.
“I’m not going to negotiate their deal.”
European leaders have been warning the US president against making a deal without Ukraine and have said Zelensky must be present for any future talks.
Putin earlier tried to butter up Trump by hailing his “sincere efforts” to reach peace.
The Russian tyrant had the cheek to suggest Moscow and Washington could strike a nuclear arms deal after meeting with his top cronies – even as he gears up to test his lethal nuclear cruise missile.
Earlier reports had suggested that Trump was planning to put a bombshell offer on the table in the hope Putin would agree to it.
He was going to offer up Alaska’s natural resources to Moscow and lifting some of the American sanctions on Russia’s aviation industry, according to The Telegraph.
However, his latest comments appear to play down the chance of any deal being inked tomorrow.
Zelensky has warned that Putin is “bluffing” about his desire for peace.
Trump has vowed “very severe consequences” if this turns out to be the case.
The Ukrainian leader has been on a whirlwind tour of sympathetic European leaders – meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz yesterday and jetting to Downing Street today.
Sir Keir Starmer hugged the embattled leader on the doorstep of Number 10 today.
He assured Zelensky he will stand by him for as long as it takes to secure a “just and lasting peace”.
After a long embrace outside No10, the pair held talks over a private breakfast to discuss tomorrow’s summit.
A Downing Street spokesperson said: “They agreed there had been a powerful sense of unity and a strong resolve to achieve a just and lasting peace in Ukraine.
“They then looked ahead to tomorrow’s talks between President Trump and President Putin in Alaska, which present a viable chance to make progress as long as Putin takes action to prove he is serious about peace.”
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