US President Donald Trump has said he is concerned that the presence of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Alaska could disrupt talks with Russian leader Vladimir Putin.

Source: The Wall  Street Journal, citing people familiar with the content of a conversation between Trump and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, as reported by European Pravda

Details: European officials initially sought direct representation at the Alaska meeting, proposing that NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte or another European leader attend, as well as Zelenskyy.

The Europeans withdrew this demand after calls between Merz and Trump, while publicly urging Zelenskyy to participate in any talks with Putin. Trump was concerned that Zelenskyy’s presence could derail the negotiations at the very start, the source said.

German officials who organised the conference stated that Trump had agreed that after his meeting with Putin, he would first brief Zelenskyy and then the European leaders who participated in the Wednesday meeting.

“At this point Trump really owns this. He is the one negotiating with Putin, and he wants a deal,” said Fiona Hill, who advised Trump on Russia during his first term and was present at his last meeting with the Russian leader in 2019. She added that Trump has repeatedly stated he wants to stop the killings on the battlefield and his actions are often motivated by that desire.

“What Trump doesn’t get is Putin doesn’t have the same empathy toward loss of life like he does: Putin wants maximal objectives to secure his legacy as Vladimir the Great and is willing to engage in mass slaughter, while Trump wants to stop the war and win the Nobel Prize for peace,” she noted.

Background:

Media reports indicate that Trump informed Zelenskyy and European leaders that his objectives for the meeting with Putin are to achieve a ceasefire and gain a better understanding of the possibility of concluding a comprehensive peace agreement.Zelenskyy said that Trump will call him after meeting with the Kremlin leader in Alaska.Trump also stated that if his meeting with Putin in Alaska is successful, he will arrange a second meeting that Zelenskyy will be invited to attend.

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