The White House and the Kremlin previously announced that Trump and Putin would meet in Alaska. However, Trump said yesterday during a press conference dedicated to his security measures in Washington, D.C.: “I will meet with Putin. I will travel to Russia on Friday. I don’t like staying here (in Washington) talking about insecurity, filth, and disgust. These graffiti have covered this once beautiful capital.” Over the past week, Putin brought the issue of American pressure on Ukraine back to the forefront, leaving an impression on Trump’s envoy that Moscow is ready to discuss land deals, which Kyiv rejected, paving the way for a private meeting between Trump and Putin away from Zelensky. The summit is seen as an attempt to end the conflict and gain key leverage points as a lifeline. The European perspective is that the conflict resolution must start from Ukraine.

Europe considers itself part of the conflict in Ukraine and insists on being part of the solution without declaring a visible defeat for Ukraine. It supports this meeting despite its absence and wishes not to be excluded from future meetings or agreements. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned yesterday against yielding to Putin’s demands to end the war, stating, “Russia refuses to stop the killing, so it should not receive any rewards or benefits. This is not only a moral stance but also a rational one.”