President Donald Trump outlined his strategy for his upcoming meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, scheduled for Friday.
Speaking on Thursday during an appearance on the “Brian Kilmeade Show,” Trump compared his planned discussions with both Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to a strategic game, saying the talks are “like chess.”
Trump predicted that the Alaska meeting with Putin carries “a 25% chance of failing outright,” but said the intention is to use it as a springboard for arranging a follow-up meeting between Putin and Zelenskyy.
“This meeting sets up the second meeting,” Trump told Kilmeade.
He stressed that the follow-up encounter would be “extremely important” and suggested it might involve negotiations about land swaps — an idea that Zelenskyy has rejected in the past.
Trump also said he expects to determine quickly whether Putin is serious about moving toward an agreement.
“I believe now he’s convinced that he’s going to make a deal. He’s going to make a deal. I think he’s going to. And we’re going to find out – I’m going to know very quickly,” Trump said.
The president also confirmed that if Putin refuses to engage in peace talks, he is prepared to implement a series of sanctions against Russia.
“There will be consequences,” Trump told reporters Wednesday. “I don’t have to say. There will be very severe consequences.”
Putin, for his part, remarked on Thursday that the U.S. is “making, in my opinion, quite energetic and sincere efforts to stop the hostilities, stop the crisis and reach agreements that are of interest to all parties involved in this conflict.”
Zelenskyy, however, tempered expectations the day before, stating that he has seen “no sign” from Moscow that it is ready to end the war.
“At present, there is no sign that the Russians are preparing to end the war. Our coordinated efforts and joint actions – of Ukraine, the United States, Europe, and all countries that seek peace – can definitely compel Russia to make peace,” Zelenskyy said on X.
{Matzav.com}
