WASHINGTON, D.C. (TIP): President Trump says Russia needs to show willingness to seriously talk about the end of the war in Ukraine, as he travels to his meeting with Putin in Anchorage, Alaska. Trump also confirms his earlier threat of “severe” consequences for Russia if it fails to show willingness to seriously talk about the end of war in Ukraine.

He says:
“Economically severe. It will be very severe.

I’m not doing this for my health, okay, I don’t need it. I’d like to focus on our country, but I’m doing this to save a lot of lives.

Yeah, very severe.”

He ends the briefing here.

Meanwhile, ‘Time to end the war. We are counting on America,’ Zelenskyy says, as he hopes for a trilateral summit with Trump, Putin.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has just posted on social media, saying he expects to get a report from the Ukrainian intelligence services today “on the current intentions of the Russian side and its preparations for the meeting in Alaska.”

Directly responding to Trump’s earlier comments, he then says:
Indeed, high stakes.
He adds:
“The key thing is that this meeting should open up a real path toward a just peace and a substantive discussion between leaders in a trilateral format – Ukraine, the United States, and the Russian side.

It is time to end the war, and the necessary steps must be taken by Russia.

We are counting on America. We are ready, as always, to work as productively as possible.”
(Agencies)