Donald Trump Says Ukraine War ‘Should Never Have Happened’ Before Alaska Summit

US President Donald Trump will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday for a closely watched summit aimed at finding a path to peace in Ukraine. Speaking to reporters at the White House on Thursday, Trump said he would quickly judge whether the meeting would be productive.

“We’re gonna find out where everybody stands,” he said. “I’ll know within the first two, three, four, or five minutes whether it’s going to be a good meeting or a bad one. If it’s bad, it’ll end quickly. If it’s good, we could see peace in the near future,” CNN quoted him as saying.

Donald Trump Blames Joe Biden for War Between Russia and Ukraine 

Trump has repeatedly argued that Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 would never have happened if he had been President at the time. On Thursday, he said the war “should have never happened.” “If I weren’t President, I think Putin would rather take over all of Ukraine. But I am President now, and he’s not going to mess with me,” Trump said.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow hopes to continue the “useful conversation” during Friday’s talks. The meeting will be Putin’s first visit to Western territory since he launched the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 — a war that has killed tens of thousands and caused massive destruction.

Russia Gains Significantly in Ukraine as Alaska Summit Approaches

In recent days, Russian forces have made gains on the battlefield ahead of the summit. Trump has floated the idea of a territorial swap between Ukraine and Russia as part of a possible peace deal.

However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who was not invited to the Alaska summit, has firmly rejected any territorial concessions.

The Alaska meeting is expected to draw global attention as both leaders test whether a direct dialogue can break the deadlock in the conflict, now well into its third year.

Also Read: Alaska Summit: Donald Trump Eyes Swift Peace Deal with Vladimir Putin