President Donald Trump departed Washington, DC, on Friday en route to Anchorage, Alaska, to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin about his war with Ukraine.
Air Force One took off for Alaska just after 8 a.m. ET as the president seeks a peace agreement with Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Trump spoke with reporters on board the plane early on the flight, where he stressed Russia will face economic consequences if a deal is not reached and that he is “not doing this for my health.”
“You had said earlier this week that Putin would face severe consequences if you get the sense from him that he’s not interested. What do you mean by that?” a reporter asked.
“Economically severe. Yes, it will be very severe. I’m not doing this for my health, okay,” Trump said. “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.”
Trump said land swaps will be part of the talks with the Russian president, but it is ultimately Ukraine’s decision.
“[Territorial swaps will] be discussed, but I’ve got to let Ukraine make that decision, and I think they’ll make a proper decision,” he said. “But I’m not here to negotiate for Ukraine. I’m here to get them at a table.”
“Look, Vladimir Putin wanted to take all of Ukraine. If I wasn’t president, he would, right now, be taking all of Ukraine, but he’s not going to do it,” he added.
U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are set to meet at Elmendorf-Richardson Base in Anchorage, Alaska. (Photo by Mehmet Yaren Bozgun/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Trump’s peace mission comes as he is averaging one ceasefire or peace deal per month around the globe and is receiving nominations and calls to receive a Nobel Prize.
Trump has reached ceasefires or peace deals between Israel and Iran, the United States and Ansarallah, India and Pakistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of Rwanda, Thailand and Cambodia, Egypt and Ethiopia, and Armenia and Azerbaijan.
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