Trump is tightening his stance ahead of the Alaska summit. What the media is writing
US President Donald Trump has toughened his rhetoric ahead of a meeting with Russian leader Vladimir Putin in Alaska. He threatened sanctions and said he would not discuss territorial changes. The head of the White House primarily wants to achieve a cease-fire. What the media write the day before the summit is in the Izvestia digest.
Reuters: Trump threatened consequences in case of failure of the cease-fire
Trump has threatened "serious consequences" if no peace agreement is reached in Ukraine. He also said that the meeting with Putin in Alaska may soon be followed by a second one, which will be attended by President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky. Trump did not specify what the consequences might be, but warned of economic sanctions if the meeting with Putin proved inconclusive.
Reuters
When asked by reporters whether these consequences would be sanctions or duties, Trump replied: "I don't need to say. The consequences will be very serious." However, the president also described the purpose of the meeting between the two leaders in Alaska as "preparing the ground" for the early continuation of negotiations with Zelensky's participation. "If the first one goes well, we'll do the second one quickly," Trump said. "I would like to do this almost immediately, and we will have a quick second meeting between President Putin and President Zelensky, as well as with me if they want me to be there."
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said that if there is no action from the Russian side in Alaska, the United States and Europe will have to increase pressure. According to him, Trump shares this position. In recent days, Russian troops have made a sharp breakthrough in eastern Ukraine, which may be an attempt to increase pressure on Kiev in order to force it to give up territories.
NBC News: Trump told Zelensky about his refusal to discuss territories with Putin
Trump told European leaders during a telephone conversation that he did not intend to discuss any possible divisions of the territory during a meeting with Putin in Alaska, two European officials and three other people briefed on the phone conversation said. According to sources, Trump said during a telephone conversation, in which Zelensky also participated, that he was going to meet with Putin in order to ensure a cease-fire in Ukraine.
NBC News
Trump and European leaders agreed that a cease-fire in Ukraine should be reached before peace talks begin, European officials and two other sources briefed on the phone conversation said. They added that some European leaders had the impression that Trump was not too optimistic about the outcome of his meeting with Putin.
Two sources familiar with the phone conversation said that the European leaders left with a positive attitude about Trump's plans for a meeting with Putin. One of them said that achieving a ceasefire is expected to be a priority for Trump at this meeting. Another expressed confidence that the Ukrainian territory would not be discussed without Ukraine's participation. They also said that the leaders are united in their opinion: if Putin does not agree to a cease-fire, Trump is likely to impose new sanctions against Russia.
Bloomberg: Bessent urges Europe to act or remain silent on Russia
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessant called on European countries to be ready to accept tariff increases for China and other countries that buy Russian energy, complaining that he received a lukewarm response when he put forward the idea at the G7 meeting earlier this year. Bessent said that sanctions against Russia "may be tightened" or "softened" depending on the results of the meeting between Trump and Putin, but the Europeans in any case need to support the idea of tougher measures.
Bloomberg
"The Europeans should join us in these sanctions,— Bessent said. — They need it. It's time to act or stay silent. We have imposed additional duties on Indians for the purchase of Russian oil. And I admit that if things go wrong, sanctions or additional duties may be increased."
At a recent G7 meeting in Canada, Bessent said that he "looked at all the leaders sitting around the table and asked: is everyone at this table ready to impose 200 percent secondary duties on China? And you know what? Everyone immediately wanted to see what kind of shoes they were wearing." Bessent said that Trump "will make it clear to President Putin that all options are being considered."
The New York Times: Trump's call triggered a tumultuous week in Ukraine
According to Trump, Moscow is ready to cease military operations as part of an agreement involving a territorial exchange between Russia and Ukraine. This was reported by a European diplomat working in Kiev and a senior Ukrainian official. Seeing an opportunity to mediate peace, Trump informed his interlocutors that he would meet with Putin one-on-one to try to conclude an agreement.
The New York Times
Trump has just tapped into two of Kiev's deepest fears: that he would be forced to cede territories to Russia as part of a peace agreement, and that Putin would be given the opportunity to break out of diplomatic isolation. It was a direct challenge to the fundamental principles of Ukraine, according to which territorial issues should be resolved only after a cease-fire and that no agreements can be concluded without Kiev's participation.
A week of feverish diplomacy followed, during which Ukraine tried its best to avoid being sidelined from participating in the negotiations and to prevent Russia from dictating the terms of the peace talks. Zelensky spoke with almost 30 world leaders, and his top advisers met online and in person with senior European and American officials to defend their position. At the same time, Ukraine has resorted to tactics honed over more than three years: rallying partners through constant behind-the-scenes calls and meetings to maintain a place at the negotiating table.
CNN: Trump wonders what has changed in Putin
Trump has often boasted about his warm relationship with Putin. But a few months before the leaders' first meeting in six years, Trump began asking Europeans and White House staff what had changed about his colleague. The nature of the questions voiced by the three sources indicates Trump's growing discontent ahead of their summit in Alaska. Trump promised to quickly broker a peace deal, but Russia has stepped up the movement in Ukraine this year.
CNN
While there are some signs that Putin's short-term goals in Ukraine may have changed, bolstering optimism in the White House about the possibility of reaching an agreement, the prevailing opinion in the U.S. intelligence community is much more skeptical.
Trump's desire to better understand Putin arose amid concerns in Ukraine and Europe that the White House was being manipulated by the Kremlin, which had agreed to a meeting between the two leaders on American soil and without Zelensky's presence. Decades spent trying to decipher Putin have allowed the United States to gain extensive knowledge about him. However, American intelligence agencies have little idea how he makes daily decisions. The Kremlin remains, according to intelligence officials, a "difficult target."
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