U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday (August 14, 2025) he believes Russian President Vladimir Putin will make a deal about his war on Ukraine, and that the threat of sanctions against Russia likely played a role in Moscow’s decision to seek a meeting. Mr. Trump is scheduled to meet with Mr. Putin in Alaska on Friday (August 15, 2025). The U.S. President said he is unsure whether an immediate ceasefire can be achieved, but expressed interest in brokering a peace agreement.
“I believe now, he’s convinced that he’s going to make a deal. He’s going to make a deal. I think he’s going to, and we’re going to find out,” Mr. Trump said in an interview on Fox News Radio’s “The Brian Kilmeade Show.”
Putin praises U.S. for ‘sincere efforts’
Earlier in the day, Mr. Putin said the United States was making “sincere efforts” to end the war in Ukraine and suggested Moscow and Washington could agree on a nuclear arms deal as part of a broader push to strengthen peace.
Alaska Summit: Why are Trump and Putin meeting in Alaska, and what’s at stake in the summit?
