Russian invasion Negotiations

Trump: “Putin is not going to mess with me”

US President Donald Trump feels confident that Vladimir Putin will take the meeting in Alaska seriously. At a press conference at the White House, Trump was asked whether the Russian president has a “strong negotiating position” when he arrives in the United States.

Trump replied again that he believes Putin wants to reach a peace agreement, a position that is not shared by Volodymyr Zelenskyj or the other European leaders.

– If I were not president, I think he would much rather take over all of Ukraine. But I am president and he is not going to mess with me, says Trump according to Sky News.

Russian delegation indicates that the meeting is not only about Ukraine

The Kremlin has announced who will travel to Alaska to meet Donald Trump. The Russian president will be accompanied by Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Defense Minister Andrei Belousov and Finance Minister Anton Siluanov. In addition, Yuri Ushakov, former ambassador to the United States, and the head of the Russian investment fund Kirill Dmitriev are also going to the United States.

The fact that the finance minister and the defense minister will participate in the meeting is a sign that the talks will be about more than just Ukraine, reports the BBC. Security issues and sanctions will also be discussed.

The Guardian reports that the participation of the finance minister stands out. Siluanov has, among other things, been the one who handled the West's sanctions against Russia.

The fact that he is going to the United States could be a sign that Putin will try to lure Trump with "economic incentives" to side with Russia, the newspaper writes.