Ahead Of Putin Sitdown, Trump Says He Hopes To Get 'prime Territory' Back For Ukraine

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said he would effort to return territory to Ukraine arsenic he prepares to meet pinch Russian President Vladimir Putin Friday and laic nan groundwork for a woody to bring an extremity to nan grinding multi-year warfare betwixt Ukraine and Russia.

“Russia has occupied a large information of Ukraine. They’ve occupied immoderate very premier territory. We’re going to effort and get immoderate of that territory backmost for Ukraine,” Trump said during a property convention astatine nan White House connected Monday.

Trump said he’s going to spot what Putin “has successful mind” to extremity nan warfare and, if it’s a “fair deal,” he will stock it pinch European and NATO leaders, arsenic good arsenic Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who person been liaising intimately pinch Washington up of nan meeting.

Asked connected Monday if Zelenskyy was invited to Alaska, Trump said nan Ukrainian leader “wasn’t a portion of it” and that contempt his having participated successful galore sitdowns complete nan people of nan war, small has travel of them. “I would opportunity he could go, but he’s gone to a batch of meetings. You know, he’s been location for 3 and a half years — thing happened,” Trump added.

The president's first telephone retired of nan Putin meeting, which he referred to arsenic “really a feel-out,” would beryllium to Zelenskyy “out of respect.” He noted that he mightiness show Zelenskyy "‘lots of luck, support fighting,’ aliases I whitethorn say, ‘we tin make a deal.’"

The comments came during a winding property convention to talk efforts to conflict crime successful Washington, D.C., pinch a scheme to federalize nan city’s constabulary force.

During his remarks, nan president noted really moreover pursuing “a awesome call” pinch Putin successful nan past, “missiles would beryllium lobbed into Kyiv aliases immoderate different place, and you’d person 60 group laying connected a roadworthy dying,” a motion to nan situation of reaching a deal.

A follow-up gathering could see Zelenskyy and Putin, and possibly Trump himself, nan president added. He said he would “be location if they need.”

But Trump said a Zelenskyy and Putin gathering was nan only measurement to bring nan conflict to a close.

“Now, I will opportunity this, ultimately, I’m going to put nan 2 of them successful a room, I’ll beryllium location aliases won’t beryllium there, and I deliberation it’ll get solved,” nan president added.

He said he would for illustration to spot a ceasefire and scope nan “best woody that could beryllium made for some parties.”

But “there’ll beryllium immoderate swapping, there’ll beryllium immoderate changes successful land,” Trump said, returning to nan thought of alleged “land swaps,” which he said connected Friday would beryllium “to nan betterment of both.” Zelenskyy, though, has been unwavering successful his position that Ukraine should not cede immoderate territory to Russia; European friends person agreed that giving up lands would promote further Russian aggression.

“The reply to Ukraine’s territorial mobility is already successful nan constitution of Ukraine,” Zelenskyy said Saturday. “No 1 will and nary 1 tin deviate from it. Ukrainians will not springiness their onshore to nan occupier.”

Trump announced past week that he is meeting pinch Putin connected Friday successful Alaska arsenic he tries to scope a ceasefire successful Ukraine. The White House had initially held retired a gathering pinch Putin and Zelenskyy arsenic a information for a gathering betwixt Trump and nan Russian president to return place, but Trump later said that was not a precondition.

The White House emphasized complete nan play that nan privilege is nan upcoming one-on-one pinch Putin, moreover arsenic it weighed nan prospect of a early gathering pinch Zelenskyy.

“Next Friday will beryllium important, because it will beryllium astir testing Putin, really superior he is connected bringing this unspeakable warfare to an end,” NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said complete nan play connected ABC.

Trump’s typical envoy, Steve Witkoff, met pinch Putin successful Moscow past week up of an Aug. 8 deadline that nan president had group for nan Russian leader to work together to a ceasefire aliases look caller sanctions.

Putin projected nan outlines of an statement to extremity nan warfare that would let Russia to clasp sweeping Ukrainian territory, but has not agreed to a ceasefire.

Zelenskyy has urged stronger world unit connected Russia, informing against concessions to Moscow.

“Another week has ended without immoderate effort by Russia to work together to nan galore demands of nan world and extremity nan killings,” nan Ukrainian leader said connected X.

“Russia is dragging retired nan war, and truthful it deserves stronger world pressure. Russia refuses to extremity nan killings, and truthful must not person immoderate rewards aliases benefits. And this is not conscionable a civilized position — it is simply a logical one. Concessions do not seduce a killer. But genuinely beardown protection of life stops nan killers,” he added.