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President Donald Trump revealed how he plans to approach his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday.
Trump appeared for a radio interview on the “Brian Kilmeade Show” on Thursday, telling host Brian Kilmeade that his negotiations with Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy are “like chess.”
Trump estimated that his meeting in Alaska with Putin has a “25% chance of failing outright, but he said the hope is to push for a second meeting between Putin and Zelenskyy.
“This meeting sets up the second meeting,” Trump told Kilmeade.
He argued the second meeting would be “extremely important,” and hinted that there would likely be negotiations over land swaps, a notion Zelenskyy has opposed.
Trump added that he believes he will know very quickly on Friday whether Putin intends to cooperate.
“I believe now he’s convinced that he’s going to make a deal. He’s going to make a deal. I think he’s going to. And we’re going to find out – I’m going to know very quickly,” Trump said.
Trump went on to confirm that he will move forward with a suite of sanctions against Russia if Putin doesn’t move forward with peace talks.
“There will be consequences,” Trump told reporters Wednesday. “I don’t have to say. There will be very severe consequences.”
Putin said Thursday that the U.S. was “making, in my opinion, quite energetic and sincere efforts to stop the hostilities, stop the crisis and reach agreements that are of interest to all parties involved in this conflict”.
Meanwhile, Zelenskyy downplayed hopes around the meeting on Wednesday, saying he sees “no sign” that Russia is preparing to end the war in Ukraine.
“At present, there is no sign that the Russians are preparing to end the war. Our coordinated efforts and joint actions – of Ukraine, the United States, Europe, and all countries that seek peace – can definitely compel Russia to make peace,” Zelenskyy said on X.
Reuters contributed to this report.
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