Matthew Wilson
President Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin have officially met to discuss the war in Ukraine. The two met in Anchorage, Alaska, about the issue. Putin and Trump appear to embrace each other warmly despite the high tensions around the topic.
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See the video below of their initial interactions, but both Trump and Putin shook hands and were all smiles as they greeted each other. This marks the first time U.S. and Russia have had its leaders meet in person since the start of the War.
“I’m meeting with Putin in Alaska! It’s a little chilly,” Trump said of the meeting. “THIS MEETING IS VERY HIGH STAKES for the world.”
Donald Trump And Putin Meet
Prior to the meeting, Trump vowed not to make territorial concessions over Ukraine. The two spent about 10 minutes riding in a limo and then have been in meetings for 90 minutes now.
“If it’s a bad meeting, it’ll end very quickly, and if it’s a good meeting, we’re going to end up getting peace in the pretty near future,” Trump told reporters prior to the meeting. He also said that he believed Russia’s latest attacks in the country as setting the tone for the talks.
“I think they’re trying to negotiate. He’s trying to set a stage. I mean, in his mind, that helps him make a better deal,” Trump said of Putin.
“In his mind, that helps him make a better deal — if they can continue the killing. Maybe it’s a part of the world, maybe it’s just his fabric, his genes, his genetics. But he thinks that makes him — gives him strength in negotiating. I think it hurts him, but I’ll be talking to him about it later,” Trump added.
Trump stressed that he wants Putin to make peace in the region.
“It will be very severe,” Trump told reporters. “I’m not doing this for my health, OK? I don’t need it. I’d like to focus on our country. But I’m doing this to save a lot of lives. Yeah, very severe.”
We will see what comes of the talks. Until then the nations wait for the results.
