Days after his contentious summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday asserted that "big progress" had been made in terms of Russia, fuelling hopes for a possible breakthrough in attempts to bring an end to the conflict in Ukraine.
Going live on his Truth Social website, Trump wrote in capital letters, "BIG PROGRESS ON RUSSIA. STAY TUNED!" but did not provide any definitive details. His remark comes barely a day before Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and some European leaders are to meet him in Washington to discuss potential avenues to peace.
The summit between Trump and Putin was held on Friday at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, the first time that Putin had walked on Western soil since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The behind-closed-doors negotiations were over three hours long.
While the summit concluded in the absence of a formal statement, both presidents were upbeat. Special U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff later confirmed that Trump and Putin had agreed on "robust security guarantees" for Ukraine, calling them "game-changing."
Quoting sources, Reuters reports that talks involved Russia giving up occupied small territory in exchange for secession by Ukraine of fortified territory in the east. The tentative agreement also would stabilize existing front lines, which could be a sign of a compromise.
On Monday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will arrive in Washington with a strong European delegation, highlighting the significance of solidarity as talks gain momentum.
French President Emmanuel Macron, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz will join him.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has also confirmed she would attend at Zelensky's request. The attendance of the two leaders is to bolster Ukraine's negotiating stance as Trump is pushing for a quick peace deal.
The Washington talks on Monday are likely to be decisive in deciding if the momentum from Trump's Alaska summit with Putin is translated into concrete action for the resolution of the nearly four-year-long war.
