Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Wednesday that President Donald Trump assured him his top priority in Friday’s meeting with Russian leader Vladimir Putin will be to push for a cease-fire in the ongoing war.
Zelensky said he and other European leaders spoke with Trump ahead of the U.S.-Russia summit in Anchorage, Alaska, and that all parties expressed unity.
“There should be a cease-fire, there should be security guarantees. President Trump said he supports this and spoke about America’s readiness to take part,” Zelensky told reporters.
U.S. Pledge of Support
According to Zelensky, Trump agreed that halting the fighting must come before any negotiations on broader peace terms. He also committed to updating Zelensky immediately after his discussion with Putin.
The leaders reportedly agreed that no final decisions should be made without Ukraine’s direct involvement.
Disagreements on Territorial Referendum
The call also touched on Kyiv’s constitutional ban on ceding territory without a public vote. Earlier this week, Trump said he was “bothered” by Zelensky’s vow to put any land deal to a referendum, noting it could complicate peace talks.
Zelensky reiterated his stance and urged the U.S. and European partners to impose additional sanctions on Russia, warning that Putin “doesn’t want peace. He wants to occupy our territories.”
Anchorage Meeting Set
The White House described Friday’s summit — the first in-person meeting between Putin and a U.S. president since 2021 — as a “listening session” aimed at better understanding Moscow’s goals in its 41-month-old invasion of Ukraine.
While major breakthroughs are not expected, Trump has consistently said Zelensky must meet directly with Putin to end the war.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that Zelensky was not invited to the Anchorage summit, noting the meeting was proposed by Putin himself.
