President Donald Trump doubled down on his threat that Russian President Vladimir Putin could face "very severe" economic consequences if he blocks the Ukraine peace process. He reiterated the warning while speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on his way to Alaska for a high-stakes talk with Putin.
The meeting in Alaska marks the first U.S.-Russia summit since 2021, and is expected to focus on ending Moscow's war on Ukraine.
PUTIN PRAISES TRUMP’S ‘SINCERE’ PEACE EFFORTS, SIGNALS POSSIBLE US-RUSSIA NUCLEAR DEAL
Trump has been pushing to end the Ukraine war since he took office. Despite a rocky relationship with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy — including a heated exchange in the Oval Office in February, Trump has taken a tough approach to Russia. However, at times he has doubted whether either Zelenskyy or Putin were prepared to secure a ceasefire deal.
Putin appeared optimistic about the process earlier this week, even praising Trump for "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," according to Reuters. It remains unclear how the Russian leader will respond when face-to-face with Trump in Alaska.
WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT TRUMP’S MEETING WITH VLADIMIR PUTIN IN ALASKA
The summit is also high-stakes for Trump, whose legacy could hinge on his ability to bring peace to a region that has been plagued by war for more than three years.
Even Trump’s current and former rivals seem to recognize the stakes. Hillary Clinton, who lost to Trump in 2016, said on the Raging Moderates podcast that she would nominate the president for a Nobel Peace Prize if he were the "architect" of a deal that would end the war.
One of the biggest obstacles to peace has been the possibility of territory swaps — a proposal Trump supports and Zelenskyy firmly opposes. There are concerns that these swaps would hand Russia some of Ukraine’s most strategic and resource-rich regions.
TRUMP THREATENS 'VERY SEVERE' CONSEQUENCES IF RUSSIA DOESN'T AGREE TO END UKRAINE WAR
When addressing the issue, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that it would "take some time" to work out details of potential territory swaps.
"I think the President’s hope is to achieve some stoppage of fighting so that those conversations can happen. These are highly technical things that take some time to work out," Rubio told reporters on Thursday.
"We want there to be a peace. We’re going to do everything we can to achieve one, but ultimately it’ll be up to Ukraine and Russia to agree to one," he added.
On Thursday, Putin hinted that Russia could be open to reaching a nuclear arms deal with the U.S., though it is unclear if that will be on the agenda for Friday.
The current treaty between the two nations on Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms, also known as the New START Treaty (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty), is set to expire in February.
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