'Not here to negotiate for Ukraine but working to end war': Donald Trump aboard flight to meet Putin
US President Donald Trump on Friday boarded a flight to Alaska, where he is scheduled to meet his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, in what is being called a historic event.
Ahead of boarding the flight, Trump posted 'high stakes' on his social media platform Truth Social.
On board Air Force One, Trump told reporters that he is not going to Alaska to broker a deal on behalf of Ukraine, but his goal was to get Putin to the table. "I'm not here to negotiate for Ukraine," he added.
"Putin believes that his continuous attacks give him strength in negotiations, but I think that hurts him. I think we will achieve some result at the summit with Putin. I am working to end the war to save lives. Russia will face severe economic consequences if it does not reach an agreement," Trump said.
As Trump was flying to Alaska, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the US president should convince Russia to stop its "invasion".
"It is time to end the war, and the necessary steps must be taken by Russia. We are counting on America," Zelenskyy said in a social media post.
I held a Staff meeting to discuss three key issues.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) August 15, 2025
The front, particularly the Pokrovsk sector. We are countering the attempts of Russian forces to gain a foothold and increasing the pressure of our units on the occupier. We are succeeding. Units of the 79th and 82nd Air…
The US delegation includes Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Treasury Scott Bessent, Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, and Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director John Ratcliffe, among others.
Trump on Wednesday warned of "very severe consequences" if Russian President Vladimir Putin doesn't agree to stop the Ukraine war after Friday's summit.
