Trump is optimistic ahead of Putin meeting — predicts 25% chance of failure

U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are slated to meet Friday in Alaska. Trump has referred to the upcoming summit as a "feel-out meeting" to determine the likelihood of reaching a ceasefire agreement and ultimately an end to the conflict with Ukraine.

Trump stated in the days leading up to the summit that if the talks are successful, there is a chance they will remain in Alaska longer than initially planned to host a second meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

'Trump is not likely to suffer another Putin ploy to string him along, making this meeting more consequential and high-risk for Moscow, with secondary sanctions and tariffs already placing a cost on those still supporting or doing business with Russia.'

Trump is optimistic that Putin "wants to get it done," though he noted that there is a 25% chance the meeting will be a failure.

"I believe now he's convinced that he's going to make a deal," Trump said. "I'm going to know very quickly."

Secretary of State Marco Rubio made similar remarks ahead of Friday's summit, stating that the administration will know "very early" in the meeting "whether something is possible or not."

Trump has vowed to implement "very severe consequences," including sanctions, if Putin refuses to advance peace talks.

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Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

He indicated that negotiations between Putin and Zelenskyy would likely require some "land swapping" that would be "good" and "bad" for both countries.

"Russia has occupied a big portion of Ukraine," Trump stated. "They've occupied some very prime territory. We're going to try and get some of that territory back for Ukraine."

Zelenskyy rejected Trump's land swapping idea, stating that Ukraine "will not give land to the occupier."

On Thursday, Putin said that the Trump administration was "making, in my opinion, quite energetic and sincere efforts to stop the hostilities, stop the crisis and reach agreements that are of interest to all parties involved in this conflict."

Zelenskyy is less optimistic about the upcoming meeting, claiming that Russia has shown "no sign" that it is preparing to end the war.

"Our coordinated efforts and joint actions — of Ukraine, the United States, Europe, and all countries that seek peace — can definitely compel Russia to make peace," Zelenskyy said.

He has accused Russia of “dragging out the war,” insisting that “it deserves stronger global pressure.”

“Russia refuses to stop the killings, and therefore must not receive any rewards or benefits. And this is not just a moral position — it is a rational one. Concessions do not persuade a killer. But truly strong protection of life stops the killers,” he wrote in a post on social media.

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Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

Regardless of the outcome of Friday's meeting with Putin, Trump intends to speak with the press afterward. However, it remains undecided whether the press conference will be addressed jointly.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt previously indicated that Trump and Putin would hold a press conference together, but Trump later appeared to walk back those plans.

"If it's negative, I'll have a press conference to say that the war is going to go on and these people are horribly going to continue to shoot each other and kill each other, and I think it's a disgrace, and I'll head back to Washington," Trump said. "Or I'll have a press conference that's positive."

Trump plans to call European leaders and Zelenskyy after his meeting with Putin to discuss next steps. He promised that the next meeting would involve both Putin and Zelenskyy.

"I will put the two of them in a room," he said. "I think it will get solved."

Trump is scheduled to meet with Putin at Alaska’s Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson around 3:00 p.m. Eastern.

Brent Sadler, a national security senior research fellow with the Heritage Foundation, told Blaze News, “The best outcome is Putin beginning to talk and giving up his maximalist approach to negotiations. Trump is not likely to suffer another Putin ploy to string him along, making this meeting more consequential and high-risk for Moscow, with secondary sanctions and tariffs already placing a cost on those still supporting or doing business with Russia.”

When contacted for a comment, the White House directed Blaze News to the statements made by Trump and Leavitt ahead of the summit.

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