Donald Trump Warns Russia of ‘Very Severe Consequences’ if Putin Blocks Ukraine Peace Deal

US President Donald Trump issued a stark warning to Russia on Wednesday, threatening “severe consequences” if President Vladimir Putin obstructs efforts to end the war in Ukraine during their high-stakes meeting in Alaska this Friday. While Trump did not specify the punitive measures, he hinted at economic sanctions and framed the upcoming talks as a crucial first step toward a broader peace settlement that would involve Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Speaking to reporters, Trump was unequivocal when asked if Russia would face repercussions for failing to agree to end the war. “Yes, they will,” he stated flatly, adding that the consequences would be “very severe”. The president presented the Alaska summit as a preliminary meeting designed to “set the table” for a more comprehensive discussion. “If the first one goes okay, we’ll have a quick second one,” Trump said. “I would like to do it almost immediately, and we’ll have a quick second meeting between President Putin and President Zelenskyy and myself, if they’d like to have me there”.

The warning came after a high-level virtual call between Trump, Zelenskyy, and key European leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. Trump described the call as “very friendly” and rated it a “10”.

European leaders emerged from the discussion with cautious optimism, stating that Trump had agreed Ukrainian territory could not be negotiated away without Kyiv’s consent and that he supported security guarantees for Ukraine. Merz reiterated that the principle of respecting borders must be upheld, adding that if there is “no movement on the Russian side in Alaska, then the United States and we Europeans should increase the pressure”.

During his remarks, Trump also repeated his claim that the conflict was the fault of the previous administration. “This is Biden’s work, this is not my work. He got us into this thing. This war would have never happened if I were the President. But it is what it is. I am here to fix it,” he said.

However, Ukraine remains deeply skeptical of Moscow’s intentions. Zelenskyy, who traveled to Berlin for consultations before the virtual call, warned his allies that Putin’s recent military advances in eastern Ukraine are a tactic to pressure Kyiv into concessions.

“I told the U.S. president and all our European colleagues that Putin is bluffing about wanting to end the war,” Zelenskyy said. “Russia is trying to show that it can occupy all of Ukraine, but this is an attempt to intimidate before the Alaska talks”. The Kremlin has shown little flexibility, with a spokesperson reiterating that Moscow’s demands have not changed