Russian President Vladimir Putin refused to answer and chose silence when journalists at the Alaska airport asked whether he would agree to a ceasefire as he met US President Donald Trump to discuss a possible peace deal to end the Ukraine war.
Trump had, before leaving for Alaska, said he was “not going to be happy” if a ceasefire was not reached at the end of the meeting. (REUTERS)
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Asked whether he would “stop killing civilians,” Putin appeared to gesture that he couldn’t hear the question.
Ahead of the meeting, both Trump and Putin exchanged greetings and shared a handshake at the military base in Alaska. The leaders are holding a closed-door meeting aimed at determining whether a ceasefire can be reached in the Ukraine war.
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At the summit site, a blue-walled room was set up for the talks, adorned with American and Russian flags. Text on the backdrop behind the two leaders read “PURSUING PEACE” in all capital letters.
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At the summit site, a blue-walled room was set up for the talks, adorned with American and Russian flags. Text on the backdrop behind the two leaders read “PURSUING PEACE” in all capital letters.
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In what is their first meeting in around six years, both Trump and Putin sat silently with their delegations seated to the side, before a blue backdrop which carried the words “Pursuing Peace”.
Next to Trump were an interpreter, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and US envoy Steve Witkoff. On Putin’s side, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov.
Trump on Ukraine ceasefire possibility
Trump had, before leaving for Alaska, said he was “not going to be happy” if a ceasefire was not reached at the end of the meeting. “I want to see a ceasefire rapidly ... I'm not going to be happy if it's not today ... I want the killing to stop,” Trump said on board Air Force One.
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The US President also said he would let Ukraine have a say on any territorial swaps, asserting that he was not there to negotiate for them. "I'm not here to negotiate for Ukraine, I'm here to get them to a table," Trump said.
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