Putin praises Trump's energetic and sincere efforts to end Ukraine war

New Delhi,UPDATED: Aug 15, 2025 00:08 IST

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday commended US President Donald Trump’s efforts to end the war in Ukraine, calling his administration “quite energetic and sincere” in seeking peace. The remarks came as both leaders prepared for a highly-anticipated US–Russia summit in Alaska on Friday.

In a video released by the Kremlin, Putin said Trump’s team was making “quite energetic and sincere efforts to stop the hostilities” and to “reach agreements that are of interest to all parties involved.”

Putin also suggested that long-term peace between Russia, the US, Europe, and the broader world could be achieved through agreements on nuclear arms control.

In Washington, Trump said there was a 25% chance the summit could fail, but also floated the idea of bringing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to Alaska for a subsequent, three-way meeting if the talks succeed. Speaking on Fox News, Trump added he might extend his stay in Alaska depending on the summit’s progress.

Meanwhile, Zelenskyy and European leaders were actively working to ensure their interests are considered in any outcome from the Trump-Putin meeting in Anchorage.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer welcomed Zelenskyy to London on Thursday in a show of British support for Ukraine a day before the critical Trump-Putin meeting. The two embraced warmly outside Starmer’s offices at 10 Downing Street without making any comments, and Zelenskyy departed about an hour later.

Zelenskyy’s trip to the British capital came a day after he took part in virtual meetings from Berlin with Trump and the leaders of several European countries.

Meanwhile, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov emphasised that no documents are expected to be signed and warned it would be a “big mistake” to speculate on the outcome of the talks, Interfax reported.

The Kremlin confirmed Thursday that the Trump-Putin summit will kick off at 11:30 a.m. local time. Putin’s foreign policy adviser, Yuri Ushakov, said the agenda begins with a one-on-one meeting between the two leaders, followed by discussions between their delegations. The talks will continue over a “working breakfast,” with a joint news conference scheduled afterward.

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With inputs from Associated Press

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