ALBAWABA - On Friday, a U.S. source told CNN that President Donald Trump is ready to back out of his planned meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska if he thinks Putin is not serious about coming to a deal. The source made it clear that "all options are still on the table," which means that Trump could leave the meeting early.
In comments to reporters on Thursday, Trump himself tipped his hat to the idea, saying that he would quickly figure out how the talks were going. He said, "I'll know in the first two, three, four, or five minutes whether the meeting is good or bad." "It will end very quickly if it's bad." If it's good, we'll get peace soon enough.
The source said that the White House is feeling "cautious optimism" about the upcoming high-profile meeting. Trump has insisted on meeting Putin in person to find out what he thinks about a ceasefire in Ukraine.
Getting ready for the Alaska Summit
The Kremlin announced that Putin's plane took off from Magadan and will land in Anchorage at 11 a.m. local time on Saturday. Trump will be there to meet him when he gets there. Dmitry Peskov, a spokesman for the Kremlin, said that the talks could last six to seven hours and that the main goal of them will be to end the war in Ukraine.
Media in Belarus said that Trump talked to the president of Belarus before the meeting, which was a sign of direct involvement. The Kremlin said again that the main topic of the meeting will be the peace in Ukraine.
Warnings and signals sent by diplomats
On his way to Alaska on Air Force One, Trump told Putin again that if Russia tries to stop the peace process in Ukraine, there will be "extremely severe" economic effects. The threat made it clear how important the meeting was. Both sides have called it a possible turning point in the war.
At the same time, a top NATO official is said to be in Alaska to meet with Trump and talk, which shows how important the talks are from a geopolitical point of view.
President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine said he hoped for a breakthrough and that the Alaska meeting would "open the path to a just peace."
The meeting is happening at a time when the world is paying more attention. Both Washington and Moscow have made it clear that they are ready for long, serious talks, but they have also left the door open for a quick exit.
