President Donald Trump will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday to discuss a potential ceasefire in Ukraine , marking the first time the leaders of the two countries have held talks since 2021.

Trump claimed the conflict “could be solved very soon” as he announced the summit at the White House on Friday, on the deadline Trump had imposed on Putin to finalize a peace deal or face potential financial penalties.

But the prospect of the negotiations succeeding was quickly thrown into doubt after Trump suggested that Ukraine would have to cede territory to Russia as part of any peace deal.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky quickly and pointedly rejected any potential deal that would involve handing over Ukrainian territory. “The answer to Ukraine’s terri

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