Trump calls for immediate ceasefire before meeting with Putin.

247 - US President Donald Trump said on Friday (15) that he wants to see a ceasefire “today” in the war in Ukraine, shortly before traveling to Alaska for a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The information is from Reuters.

The meeting, scheduled for a Cold War-era air base, will be the first between the two leaders since Trump returned to the White House.

Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One that he will not negotiate on behalf of Kyiv. "I'm not here to negotiate for Ukraine, I'm here to bring them to the table," he said, adding, "I want to see a ceasefire quickly... I won't be happy if it's not today... I want the killing to stop."

The Republican hopes that a truce in the war, which has already lasted three and a half years, will strengthen his image as a global peacemaker and, according to him, make him worthy of the Nobel Peace Prize.

On the Russian side, the summit is already being celebrated as a diplomatic victory. For Putin, the meeting proves that years of Western attempts to isolate Moscow have failed. Russian special envoy Kirill Dmitriev described the pre-summit climate as "combative" and said that the agenda will include not only Ukraine, but the entire spectrum of bilateral relations.

Trump, who had promised to end the war within 24 hours, acknowledged the day before that the task is more difficult than he anticipated. If talks progress, he intends to quickly organize a new summit, this time tripartite, with the participation of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said this format is possible if there is progress in Alaska.

Zelenskiy, excluded from the meeting, stated that the meeting should pave the way for a "just peace," but reiterated that Moscow continues to attack his country. A Russian ballistic missile struck the Dnipropetrovsk region on Friday, killing one person and injuring another. "It's time to end the war, and the necessary steps must be taken by Russia. We are counting on America," the Ukrainian leader wrote on Telegram.

According to sources close to the Kremlin, there are signs that Moscow may seek a compromise, given the economic costs of the war and the pressure of Western sanctions. Putin has reportedly signaled a willingness to freeze the conflict on the current front lines in exchange for legal guarantees against NATO expansion to the east and the partial lifting of sanctions.

Putin also offered to discuss a new nuclear arms control agreement to replace the current treaty, which expires in February. One possibility for the meeting in Alaska is an initial understanding on a partial ceasefire, such as a halt to air warfare, while verification issues are discussed.

Despite speculation, Zelenskiy formally rejects ceding any territory to Russia and demands security guarantees with US support. On the streets of Kiev, many Ukrainians express disbelief about the outcome of the summit. “Nothing good will come out of it, because war is war, it won’t end. We won’t give territories to anyone,” stated Tetiana Harkavenko, 65.