President Donald Trump is gearing up for a critical meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, where he is emphasizing a ‘very severe’ threat in the hopes of preventing further loss of life.
The two leaders, among the most influential on the global stage, will meet in Alaska to discuss strategies for ending the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict.
On February 24, 2022, Russia initiated a war against Ukraine when Putin ordered troops into Crimea. Since the invasion, Russia has occupied approximately 20 percent of Ukrainian territory.
As the meeting approaches, scheduled to begin at 11 am local time in Anchorage, there is optimism that a ceasefire in Eastern Europe might be agreed upon.
President Trump, who has been advocating for a resolution since returning to the White House in January, has yet to see success despite offering additional incentives for involvement.
Whenever Trump has urged Putin to negotiate an end to the conflict, the Russian leader has escalated his military actions in Ukraine.
The former businessman has often voiced his frustration and issued warnings in response to these developments.
This time around, Trump has declared a ‘very severe’ threat against Putin, promising repercussions if no agreement is reached during their ‘high-stakes’ meeting, a term he used on his social media platform, Truth Social.
Speaking to reporters on Air Force One before the meeting, Trump was asked about the potential consequences for Russia if Putin refused to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine.
“Economic consequences. Very severe,” he stated. “I’m not doing this for personal reasons. I want to focus on America, but this is about saving lives.”
“Yes, very severe.”
Although Trump did not specify what measures would be taken against Russia if the talks were unproductive, he added, “I don’t have to say. There will be very severe consequences.”
When asked if he could persuade Putin to halt the bombing of Ukrainian civilians, Trump admitted uncertainty in achieving that goal.
He explained, “I’ve had those discussions with him. We’ve had positive talks, but then I return and see a rocket hit a nursing home or an apartment building, with casualties in the streets.”
“So, my guess is no, since we’ve had this dialogue. I aim to end this war. It’s Biden’s conflict, but I want to be the one to stop it.”
“I would be proud to end this war, as well as the previous five I concluded. However, the answer seems to be probably no.”