Former U.S. President Donald Trump told European leaders during a video call on Wednesday that he does not plan to discuss any partition of Ukrainian territory when he meets Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday, according to multiple officials briefed on the conversation. Trump said his primary goal is to secure a ceasefire in Ukraine, NBC News and Reuters reported. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy took part in the call, during which all participants agreed that negotiations about Ukraine’s borders can proceed only after a ceasefire and with Kyiv’s consent. Some officials described the mood as cautiously positive, while noting Trump warned Moscow would face “severe consequences,” including the prospect of new sanctions, if a ceasefire is not reached. Trump also floated holding a second meeting shortly after the Alaska talks that would bring together himself, Putin and Zelenskyy. Potential venues discussed include several cities in Europe and the Middle East, the sources said.
🇺🇸🇺🇦🇪🇺 NBC News: Trump told European leaders during a phone call that he did not intend to discuss possible territorial exchanges during a meeting with Putin. Some European leaders were left with the impression after the conversation that Trump was not very optimistic about the https://t.co/7RCuS6fTf6
One person familiar with Wednesday’s meeting sounded a note of caution. While “overall there was a positive atmosphere,” they told POLITICO, “Trump, as always, talked a lot about what he would do, but in a way that no one could say what exactly he was going to do.” https://t.co/MXLXGKRseu
Trump WON’T discuss possible territorial divisions at this week’s meeting with Putin — NBC https://t.co/kk6gqCvq8w https://t.co/y5u6xczPCA