United States President Donald Trump has said he believes Russian President Vladimir Putin is ready to negotiate an end to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, ahead of bilateral talks in Alaska on Friday.
While Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has not been invited to the summit, Trump said he hopes to arrange a second meeting with both Putin and Zelenskyy.
“I believe now, [Putin’s] convinced that he’s going to make a deal. I think he’s going to, and we’re going to find out,” said Trump.
“If the first one goes OK, we’ll have a quick second one,” Trump said. “I would like to do it almost immediately, and we’ll have a quick second meeting between President Putin and President Zelenskyy and myself, if they’d like to have me there.”
According to Trump, Putin and Zelenskyy could “divvy things up” at a second meeting. While Trump previously said he expected “some swapping of territories” between the two countries in a potential peace deal, Zelenskyy has ruled out ceding the Donbas region to Russia.
The U.S. will also propose allowing Russia access to Alaska’s natural resources and Ukraine’s rare earth minerals. the Telegraph reported.
The U.S. and Ukraine agreed to a joint investment deal in Ukrainian resources in April, including oil, gas, and rare earth elements like lithium.
Other proposals could reportedly include lifting export bans on equipment for Russian planes.
Putin plans to discuss options for trade and economic cooperation with the U.S. at the Alaska summit, according to Putin advisor Yuri Ushakov.
Related content
