Post by : Rameen Ariff

Photo : AP

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday, August 13, 2025, that he wants to hold a meeting with both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky almost immediately after his upcoming summit with Putin in Alaska. Trump said the aim is to try to end the three-year war in Ukraine.

The Alaska summit between Trump and Putin is set to take place in Anchorage this Friday. Speaking to reporters, Trump said if the first meeting with Putin goes well, he will arrange a second, smaller meeting that will include Zelensky.

“I would like to do it almost immediately,” Trump said. “We’ll have a quick second meeting between President Putin, President Zelensky and myself, if they’d like me there.”

Trump’s comments came after he spoke with several European leaders, including Zelensky, in what he described as a “very good” conference call. On the same day, Russian troops made their biggest advance into Ukraine in more than a year, increasing pressure on Ukraine’s forces.

Concerns About a Private Deal

The high-profile summit comes at a tense time. Zelensky has not been invited to Anchorage for the first meeting, raising concerns among Ukraine and its allies that Trump and Putin might strike an agreement that could force Ukraine into making painful territorial or political concessions.

During his 2024 election campaign, Trump promised to end the war in Ukraine on his first day in office. However, more than half a year into his presidency, progress toward a peace deal has been slow.

Trump had earlier threatened “secondary sanctions” against Russia’s trading partners over the invasion, but his promised deadline for action passed last week without any new measures.

“Severe Consequences” Warning

Trump warned that a second meeting with Putin and Zelensky would not happen if he felt Putin was acting dishonestly.

“There may be no second meeting if I didn’t get the answers we need,” Trump told reporters.

Meanwhile, data from the U.S.-based Institute for the Study of War, reviewed by AFP, shows Russian forces gained 110 square kilometers (42.5 square miles) of territory in eastern Ukraine on August 12 — the biggest one-day advance since May 2024.

Zelensky Seeks European Unity

While the fighting continues, Zelensky traveled to Berlin to meet German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and joined an online call with other European leaders, NATO officials, and European Union chiefs. They spoke to Trump together, urging him to push for a ceasefire with Russia.

Trump told the leaders that Russia would face “severe consequences” if it refused to stop its attacks. But Zelensky said he believed Putin was not serious about peace.

“I have told my colleagues — the U.S. president and our European friends — that Mr. Putin definitely does not want peace,” Zelensky said.

Trump has played down the chances of a major breakthrough in Alaska, calling it more of a “feel-out meeting” with Putin. Still, he suggested there could be “swapping” and “changes in land” in the future.

Chancellor Merz said Ukraine is open to talks “on territorial issues” but stressed that recognizing Russian control over occupied areas is not possible.

After the call, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Europe, the U.S., and NATO had “strengthened the common ground for Ukraine.” NATO chief Mark Rutte added: “The ball is now in Putin’s court.”

Russia’s Stance and Battlefield Gains

Russia’s Foreign Ministry dismissed the recent wave of diplomacy as “politically and practically insignificant” and accused Western leaders of trying to sabotage peace talks between Moscow and Washington.

Despite diplomatic efforts, Russia has been making steady gains in eastern Ukraine this week, particularly in a narrow but strategically important section of the front line.

In Kramatorsk, just 20 kilometers (12 miles) from the fighting, Ukrainian soldiers said they do not expect Trump’s talks with Putin to end the war anytime soon.

One 30-year-old serviceman named Artem said:

“This war will go on for a long time. Putin is building his army, stockpiling weapons, and trying to deceive the world.”