Washington/Kyiv/Brussels — US President Donald Trump said Monday that both Ukraine and Russia will need to give up some territory to end the war. He added that his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin this week will quickly show whether the Kremlin is open to a deal.
The summit will take place in Alaska on Friday. Before that, Trump will speak with European leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. European capitals fear Washington could push Ukraine toward peace terms that work in Moscow’s favor.
Trump recently hardened his approach toward Russia. He approved more US weapons for Kyiv and threatened tariffs on buyers of Russian oil. Yet many European officials still fear he could accept terms that force major concessions from Ukraine.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said ending the war requires “transatlantic unity, support for Ukraine, and pressure on Russia.” She warned that only firm measures can stop future Russian aggression in Europe.
At the White House, Trump called the Alaska meeting a “feel-out” session. He said he would know “probably in the first two minutes” if progress was possible. “I’m going to be telling him, ‘You’ve got to end this war,’” Trump said. “I may walk away and say, ‘Good luck.’ Or I may conclude this is not going to be settled.”
Trump suggested a later meeting could involve Zelenskiy. He stressed that Washington’s priority is a fast ceasefire in the war, now in its fourth year. He plans to speak with European leaders soon after his talks with Putin.
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