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Trump told Zelenskyy and allies that he would not discuss the territory divisions with Putin this week, say sources

Washington – President Donald Trump told European leaders on Wednesday during an appeal that he does not intend to discuss possible divisions of the territory when he meets Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska this week, according to two European officials and three other people informed of the call.

Trump said on the call, which also included Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, whom he entered in the meeting with Putin in order to obtain a cease-fire in Ukraine, these sources said.

Trump and European leaders have agreed that a cease-fire in Ukraine must be implemented before peace negotiations can begin, said European officials and two other people informed of the appeal. Some European leaders had the impression of the call that Trump is not optimistic about the results of his meeting with Putin, they added.

Wednesday’s call took place a few days before Trump’s meeting with Putin, which is scheduled for Friday. European and Ukrainian officials were nervous about the president’s meeting with the Russian leader since he announced it last week. Among their concerns, Trump and Putin could accept the parameters of a peace agreement, including territorial divisions, then try to put pressure on Ukraine to accept it. Trump’s comments last week that there would be “land exchanges” between Russia and Ukraine, in particular, put Zelenskyy and European leaders at the forefront.

But the two European officials and three other people informed the call on Wednesday, all the leaders agreed that Ukraine should be included in the negotiations and should be the one who decides which territorial concessions he could be willing to make. They also said that the leaders were united in their conviction that if Putin did not accept a cease-fire, Trump would probably receive new sanctions against Russia.

Two additional people familiar with Wednesday’s call said European leaders felt positive on Trump’s plans for his meeting with Putin. One of them said that making a ceasefire should be the priority for Trump at the meeting. The other person expressed his confidence that Ukrainian territory would not be negotiated without Ukraine.

In response to a request for comments, the press secretary of the White House, Karoline Leavitt, said in a statement: “The White House does not discuss details of the president’s private diplomatic conversations. However, President Trump clearly wanted to end this war and stop murder, and Friday meeting with President Putin will serve an important moment in this process.”

Trump said on Wednesday after the call that it was “very good” and suggested that another meeting involving Zelenskyy could quickly follow his plate with Putin.

“There is a very good chance that we have a second meeting, which will be more productive than the first, because the first is that I will know where we are and what we are doing,” Trump told journalists. “I would like to do it almost immediately, and we will have a second rapid meeting between President Putin and President Zelenskyy and myself, if they wanted to have me.”

The president also said that Russia would face “serious consequences” if Putin does not accept to end the war.

Vice-President JD Vance, who also participated in Wednesday’s call, then said in remarks to American troops at Raferford in the United Kingdom that “one of our most important shared security objectives in Europe” puts an end to the war in Ukraine.

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