US President Donald Trump has warned that Vladimir Putin will face “very severe consequences” if he fails to agree a ceasefire in the war in Ukraine during their upcoming summit in Alaska. Speaking after a call with Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders, including Britain's Keir Starmer, Trump indicated that a second summit involving the Ukrainian president could follow if the initial meeting goes well.
Trump is set to meet Putin on Friday at Joint Base Elmendorf–Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, a military facility with Cold War significance. He told reporters that if the first meeting proceeds satisfactorily, he would push for a quick second summit with both Putin and Zelenskyy. The US president did not provide a timeline for this potential trilateral meeting.
In a hastily convened video conference with European leaders and Vice-President JD Vance, Trump reassured them that a ceasefire was his priority and that no territorial concessions would be made without Ukraine's full involvement. The call was described as “very good” by Trump, who rated it 10 out of 10. European leaders, who have been excluded from the Alaska summit, fear Trump might make concessions that compromise Ukraine's sovereignty.
British, French, and German officials later reiterated their position, emphasising that international borders must not be changed by force and that Ukraine requires robust security guarantees. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz called for a 30-day ceasefire and warned that if Russia shows no movement in Alaska, the US and Europe should increase pressure through further economic sanctions. French President Emmanuel Macron confirmed that no serious discussions on land swaps had occurred and that Trump insisted any such negotiations would involve Kyiv.
