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US President Donald Trump could visit Russia in the future, the White House has said. Trump is set to meet his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin this week.
The two leaders are scheduled to hold talks in the US state of Alaska on August 15, with discussions expected to focus on resolving the Ukraine conflict and strengthening bilateral ties.
Asked by reporters on Tuesday if Trump planned to visit Russia, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said: “It’s possible that there are plans to travel to Russia in the future.”
Moscow previously stated that it expects the two leaders’ next meeting following Alaska to take place in Russia. Trump has officially been sent an invitation, Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov said last week.
The US leader said on Monday he plans to organize the next top-level talks on the Ukraine conflict, aiming to bring Putin and Vladimir Zelensky to the same table. He also confirmed that Zelensky has not been invited to his meeting with Putin on Friday.
Moscow has long accused Zelensky of being in denial and unnecessarily prolonging a conflict he cannot win.
The Russian president has said he has “nothing in principle” against meeting with Zelensky, but maintains that “certain conditions must be created” for it to take place.
Putin has also cast doubt on Zelensky’s legal capacity to sign binding agreements, as the Ukrainian leader’s presidential term expired last year and he has refused to hold a new election, citing martial law. This has prompted Moscow to declare him “illegitimate.”
Recap : Alaska meeting, Ukraine conflict and trade with Russia - Key takeaways from Trump’s Q&A
The summit with Vladimir Putin will show whether a peace deal can be reached, the US president has said
US President Donald Trump shared his expectations regarding the upcoming meeting with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, during a Q&A session with journalists after a press conference on Monday.
The summit will reveal whether Moscow and Kiev are capable of resolving the Ukraine conflict or should just be left fighting, Trump claimed.
The results of the meeting would then be shared with the EU, NATO and Kiev, Trump said, adding that he would be particularly keen on relaying Moscow’s proposals if he believes they could be translated into a “fair deal.” According to the US president, the settlement of the Ukraine conflict is bound to involve some “land swapping.” The president also said that he still sees great potential in trade with Russia, which “has a very valuable piece of land.”
Here are the highlights of the Q&A session:
‘Feel-out meeting’
According to Trump, he expects the Friday summit with Putin in Alaska to be a “feel-out meeting” that would help him understand Moscow’s intentions better. The American president stated that he believes Russia wants to engage with Washington and “get it over with” when it comes to the Ukraine conflict.
He also welcomed the fact that Moscow has agreed to hold the summit in a US state. “I thought it was very respectful that the President of Russia is coming to our country, as opposed to us going to his country, or even [to] a third-party place,” Trump said, adding that he believes he and Putin “will have constructive conversations.”
Path forward
According to Trump, the meeting with Putin will help him understand whether there is a way to settle the Ukraine conflict. “We're going to see what the parameters [of a potential settlement] are,” the president said, vowing to share the details of the discussion with EU and NATO leaders, as well as with Vladimir Zelensky.
“I'd like to see the best deal that can be made for both parties,” Trump stated, adding that he would also like to see a ceasefire between the two sides as soon as possible. He still admitted that there is a chance the meeting could end in failure and he would just “leave and say: good luck.”
‘Land swapping’
A potential solution to the Ukraine conflict is bound to involve some exchange of territories between Russia and Ukraine, the US president believes. “There will be some land swapping going on,” he told journalists.
Trump also criticized Kiev’s approach to settling territorial disputes with Moscow. According to the president he was “bothered” by Zelensky telling him about the need of “constitutional approval” for any changes on the ground. “He got the approval to go into war, kill everybody,” the US president said.
Zelensky not invited
When asked why the Ukrainian leader was not invited for the Friday summit, Trump said Zelensky “wasn’t a part of it.” The president also pointed to the fact that the Ukrainian leader “has been there for three and a half years” and had gone “to a lot of meetings” but “nothing happened.”
Trade with Russia
When asked if he still believes the US could still do some “normal trade” with Russia, Trump replied: “I do.” He went on to say that Russia “has a very valuable piece of land” and could benefit from it if Putin “would go toward business.” He also described Russia as a “massive country” that has “tremendous potential … to do well.”
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