Donald Trump has issued a stern warning to Vladimir Putin regarding the consequences if the Russian leader does not agree to a peace agreement with Ukraine.
Last week, on August 15, Trump met with Putin in Alaska to discuss possibilities for ending the conflict. Although no definitive agreement was made, Trump expressed optimism, saying, “we have a very good chance of getting there.”
On August 18, the Republican president hosted European leaders and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House. The meeting focused on discussing a ceasefire and establishing a sustainable peace in Ukraine.
In contrast to his solo visit to the Oval Office in February, which involved Trump accusing Zelenskyy of “gambling with World War 3,” this meeting included the presence of key figures such as French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
Prime Minister Starmer described the discussions as “good and constructive,” noting, “There was a real sense of unity between the European leaders that were there, and President Trump and President Zelenskyy.”
Starmer highlighted two significant outcomes from the talks: the coalition of the willing will collaborate with the US on security guarantees.
He emphasized the importance of this cooperation, saying, “That’s really important for security in Ukraine, for security in Europe, and for security in the UK.”
Attention now shifts back to Putin and the prospect of reaching an agreement between Ukraine and Russia, with the hope of ending the conflict that has been ongoing for three-and-a-half years.
Trump has warned that Putin would face a “rough situation” if he does not participate in the peace process, and he urged Zelenskyy to “show some flexibility.”
“I hope President Putin is going to be good and if he’s not, that’s going to be a rough situation,” Trump told Fox News. “And I hope that Zelenskyy, President Zelenskyy, will do what he has to do. He has to show some flexibility.”
Trump also mentioned that Ukraine would not be joining NATO, but European forces would help prevent any future Russian incursions.
“[Ukraine] are not going to be a part of NATO but we’ve got the European nations, so they’ll front-load it and they’ll have – some of them, France and Germany, a couple of them, the UK – they are going to have boots on the ground,” the US president added.
He expressed his belief that this would not be a pressing issue, stating, “I don’t think it’s going to be a problem, to be honest. I think Putin is tired of it, I think they are all tired of it, but you never know.”
“We are going to find out about President Putin in the next couple of weeks, that I can tell you,” Trump concluded.