Ukraine ceasefire a ‘viable solution’ as Trump to meet Putin
US President and Russian President will met face to face on Friday to discuss war in Ukraine.
Source: Reuters
British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer says peace in Ukraine is looking like a “viable solution” thanks to US President Donald Trump’s intervention.
Trump and Putin will meet on Friday (local time) in Alaska for talks about how to end the conflict that has raged for more than three years.
On Thursday (AEST), Trump updated European leaders and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky in a virtual meeting and told them his goal in talks with Putin was a ceasefire.
Trump spoke to reporters after his chat with European leaders and Zelensky and said the hook-up had been a “very good call”.
“President Zelensky was on the call. I would rate it a 10, very friendly,” he said.
Trump told media that Russia would face “severe consequences” if Putin did not agree to stop the war.
“Yes, they will,” he said.
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He did not spell out the consequences, but he has warned of stiff economic sanctions if there is no breakthrough.
Trump also said if his meeting with Putin went well, he would like a follow-up with Putin, Zelensky and himself.
“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 Zelensky and myself, if they’d like to have me there.”
Hopes for peace
European leaders appeared optimistic about a breakthrough in the war after hearing from Trump.
Trump reportedly told them that Ukraine would have to be involved in discussing matters of territory. He has previously said both sides will have to swap land to end fighting.
Some European governments worry a land swap could leave Russia with almost a fifth of Ukraine and embolden Putin to expand further west in the future.
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Starmer praised Trump’s efforts to bring the war to a close.
“For three-and-a-bit years this conflict has been going on, and we haven’t got anywhere near the prospect of an actually a viable solution, a viable way of bringing it to a ceasefire.
“Now we do have that chance, because of the work the President has put in.”
On a day of intense diplomacy, Zelensky flew into Berlin for German-hosted virtual meetings with European leaders and then with Trump.
Participants in the call with Trump included leaders from France, Britain, Italy, Poland and Finland, as well as European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa.
Zelensky said on Wednesday (local time) he hoped the Trump-Putin talks would centre on a ceasefire. He warned Trump that Putin was “bluffing” about his desire to end the war.
“I told the US President and all our European colleagues that Putin is bluffing,” he said at a joint briefing in Berlin with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
“He is trying to apply pressure before the meeting in Alaska along all parts of the Ukrainian front. Russia is trying to show that it can occupy all of Ukraine.”
Zelensky added that he wanted a three-leader meeting, saying no talks about Ukraine should exclude his country’s representatives.
Von der Leyen said that Europe, the US and the NATO military alliance had strengthened their common ground for Ukraine.
“We have had a very good call,” she wrote on X after attending the virtual meeting with Trump, European leaders and Zelensky.
“Today Europe, the US and NATO have strengthened the common ground for Ukraine,” von der Leyen said, adding that “we will remain in close coordination. Nobody wants peace more than us, a just and lasting peace”.
-with AAP/DPA
