Russian President Vladimir Putin has praised the Trump administration’s “energetic and sincere efforts” to end the war in Ukraine, suggesting that Washington and Moscow could strike a new deal on nuclear arms control, CNN reported on Thursday, just a day ahead of the high-stakes meeting scheduled between the two leaders in Alaska’s Anchorage to ensure “lasting peace” in war-ravaged Ukraine.
Russia Eyes Arms Control as Peace Talks Resurface
Speaking at a briefing with top Russian officials, Putin reportedly said the purpose of the meeting was to “create long-term conditions for peace between our countries, as well as in Europe, and in the world as a whole.” The Russian leader added that progress on “strategic offensive weapons” — a reference to nuclear arms — could be key to achieving broader peace.
New START Treaty Looms in Background
With the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) — limiting deployment of long-range nuclear weapons — set to expire in February 2026, Putin hinted that the next stage of the US-Russia talks could lead to new agreements on nuclear control.
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EU, UK Welcome Trump’s Interest on Security Guarantees for Ukraine
Meanwhile, Deputy chief spokesperson for the European Commission Arianna Podesta said that the bloc expects that “President Trump will debrief Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders following his bilateral meeting with Putin,” The Guardian reported Thursday. While no predefined timeline has been shared, the European bloc has welcomed Trump’s interest in providing security guarantees for Ukraine.
Meanwhile, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer met with President Zelenskyy in London, and said the Alaska summit “presents a viable chance to make progress as long as Putin takes action to prove he is serious about peace.”
The Ukrainian Prresident later confirmed that the duo held detailed discussions on security guarantees, arms supplies and increasing drone production, which are key to Ukraine’s defence.
“Yesterday, together with all our partners, and today in a bilateral format, we discussed expectations for the meeting in Alaska and possible prospects. We also discussed in considerable detail the security guarantees that can make peace truly durable if the United States succeeds in pressing Russia to stop the killings and engage in genuine, substantive diplomacy. It is important that, within the framework of the Coalition of the Willing, we should all be able to achieve effective formats for security cooperation,” Zelenskyy wrote in a post on X.
The Ukrainian President continued, “We also discussed the continuation of support programs for our army and our defense industry. Under any scenario, Ukraine will maintain its strength. Keir and I also talked about such mechanisms for weapons supplies as the PURL program, and I urged the UK to join. Of course, we also discussed our One Hundred Year Partnership Agreement. Ukraine is preparing to ratify it in August, and as a result, we will be able to hold an expanded Ukraine–UK meeting.”
A good, productive meeting with UK Prime Minister @Keir_Starmer. We continue to coordinate our positions.
Yesterday, together with all our partners, and today in a bilateral format, we discussed expectations for the meeting in Alaska and possible prospects. We also discussed in… pic.twitter.com/mcM1f2dPTd
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) August 14, 2025
Real Peace or Political Posturing?
Putin’s latest remarks come after months of stalled diplomacy and intensified fighting during the course of Russia-Ukraine war.
Zelenskyy, for his part, has asserted that Ukraine is looking for “durable” peace and that would require “genuine, substantive diplomacy” from the Kremlin.
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