After the conversations with the Vladimir Putin of Russia in Alaska, President Trump plans to meet Monday with the Ukrainian leader Volodymr Zenskyy.
Scott Detrow, host:
On Friday morning, aboard Air Force One, President Trump spoke difficult for Fox News, going to his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
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President Donald Trump: I’m going to be happy if I go without some kind of fire.
Detow: When he landed in Anchorage, Alaska, Trump went on the red carpet, literally for the Russian leader, let him ride in the presidential limousine and spoke with Putin for three hours. But in the end, the fire did not remember. Even so, Trump is calling the meeting a great success. And tomorrow, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and several other European leaders will meet with Trump in the White House. Luke Garrett of NPR is here to talk about what comes next. Hello.
Luke Garrett, byline: Hello. How are you?
Detrow: Let’s start with the guest list. Who attends tomorrow’s meeting?
Garrett: Then, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy, of course, will be there, together with the main leaders of Europe, including the president of the European Commission, Ursula Von Leyen him, and NATO general secretary, Mark Rutte. Many other leaders in the country, such as French president Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, have said they are also traveling to DC with other European leaders. And his presence is really remarkable here, Scott, because it shows a European front together with Zenskyy. We all remember the last time Zenskyy with Trump at the Oval office in February. That meeting ended in shouts and a fractured relationship between Trump and the Ukrainian leader. We do not know how tomorrow will develop, but Zenskyy will have allies with him at the White House. But to be clear, these European leaders really have their skin in the game also, in terms of their roles and a possible security guarantee for Ukraine.
Detrow: So this is Monday. Friday, Trump with Putin for several hours in Alaska. What tells us that summit about what we could expect tomorrow with Zenskyy and these other leaders?
Garrett: He tells us a lot. This morning, the special envoy of the United States, Steve Witkoff, which was part of the Trump-Poutin meeting, withdrew the curtain of what was discussed and possible until Friday. Witkoff told CNN that the Russians made concessions on security guarantees for Ukraine. Now, the devil will be in the details here: What kind of protections were really agreed and who will enforce the issue? Witkoff really didn’t say. And it is also to notice here that the Russians house, so a little salt salt. And separately, you know, Witkoff said Russians want Ukrainian lands, something that Putin has been saying since the war.
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Steve Witkoff: The fundamental issue, which is a kind of land exchange, which is obviously in the control of the Ukrainians, who could not have legs at this meeting. We intend to discuss it on Monday.
Garrett: Then, in the Witkoff count, the negotiation table is really established with Ukrainian security guarantees on the one hand and a possible exchange of land on the other, with a peace agreement son of hanging in balance. Witkoff said he hopes for a peace agreement, but other US officials at that Friday meeting really rush.
Detow: Ok, tell me more about that, then.
Garrett: correct, so Secretary of State Marco Rubio gave a different tone this morning on a possible agreement. Here he is blond in ABC News.
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Marco Rubio: We are still very far. I mean, we are not in the precipice of a peace agreement. We are not on the edge of one, but I think progress was made.
Garrett: And Rubio said that if a peace agreement is not reached between Russia and Ukraine, Trump still has power levers against Putin’s economy.
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Rubio: In terms of sanctions, look, at the end of the day, if we cannot reach a peace agreement here and this war continues and, therefore, anticipation that you will see the president take more measures. He has already made it clear.
Garrett: Ultimately, Rubio framed the negotiation similar to Witkoff in which Ukrainian security guarantees and land exchanges are negotiation chips here. Rubio said it will depend on Putin and Zenskyy make this deal.
Detow: So that is the side of the things of the United States. You mentioned the tense and disastrous that have been the previous meetings between Trump and Zenskyy this year. What are we listening to Zenskyy before this?
Garrett: Zenskyy said Sunday that the signal of possible Ukrainian security guarantees from that Friday’s summit marked an appointment, “significant change.” But Zelenskyy also stressed that there are no details about how these theoretical security guarantees will work on the field. The most important thing, the Ukrainian leader rejected the idea of giving the eastern region of Donetsk of Ukraine or trade any land. He also renewed his calls to a high fire. Obviously, there are many details here that have not yet been resolved, but President Trump and Zenskyy agree that a peace agreement, if it were the end, would come a trilateral meeting, the bone of UKED, the ashetian bone, the legs of the Ashinians, the legs of the Ashinians, the Ashrainians and the bones of the Ashinians.
Detrow: That is NPR Luke Garrett. Thank you very much for all that.
Garrett: Thank you for inviting me.
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