Following his speech at an event held at the Kennedy Center, US President Trump made assessments to members of the press regarding the summit he will hold on August 15th in Alaska with Russian President Vladimir Putin regarding Ukraine.

Trump said he held an online meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders today, ahead of his meeting with Russian President Putin, and that the meeting went very well.

The US President said,"Our meeting was very productive; I would give it a 10 out of 10," adding that they discussed topics to be discussed to end the Russia-Ukraine war. When asked,"If Putin doesn't agree to end the war on Friday, will you impose sanctions?", Trump replied,"Yes. I won't say what those sanctions will be right now, but they will have serious consequences (for Russia)."

GREEN LIGHT FOR THE SECOND MEETING

Trump stated that if his meeting with Putin is positive, he would like to hold a second summit where Russian President Putin and Ukrainian President Zelenskyy will meet, saying,"There is a high probability that the second meeting will take place. If they want me to be there, I will be there."

Trump stated that if he could not achieve the results he wanted from his meeting with Putin at the summit, a second meeting would not take place.

Zelenskyy spoke at a joint press conference with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Berlin. Assessing efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war, Zelenskyy stated that he had held intense telephone conversations with leaders of various countries in recent days to end the war.

Zelenskyy stated that they were working to achieve peace in Ukraine, noting that a ceasefire was the priority for now. He also argued that Russia was not making any preparations to end the war.

Recalling that an online meeting on Ukraine was held today with the participation of US President Donald Trump and European leaders, Zelenskiy noted that they discussed developments on the front lines at the meeting.

Zelenskiy stated that the Russians' aim is to occupy all of Ukraine and used the following statements:

"I told my colleagues, the US President and our European friends (Russian President Vladimir Putin), that Putin absolutely does not want peace. He wants our country to be occupied, and we all see that for real. Putin will not be able to fool anyone. We need more pressure for peace."

Zelenskyy stated that they will not make concessions regarding Ukraine's territorial integrity and that he had expressed this during the meeting.

Zelenskiy, who also mentioned the summit between Trump and Putin to be held in Alaska on August 15, reiterated his determination regarding territorial integrity, saying,"My position has not changed because it has a basis, this is the Ukrainian constitution."

Zelenskyy noted that the Alaska summit should yield results.

Zelenskyy, noting that a leaders' meeting is necessary to end the war, said,"In any case, fundamental issues related to our principles and territorial integrity are ultimately decided at the leaders' level. This problem cannot be solved without Ukraine, and by the way, everyone supports this."

Zelenskiy stated that they evaluated the Trump-Putin meeting to be held in Alaska during the online meeting and said,"We hope that the main topic of the meeting will be a ceasefire, an immediate ceasefire."

Zelenskiy stated that the Ukraine issue should be discussed in talks held with the participation of Kyiv representatives, and also noted that Ukraine would be included in the meetings held after the Alaska summit.

HE CRITICIZED THE MEDIA'S ATTITUDE

"The media is being very unfair about my meeting with Putin," Trump said in a post on his account on the US-based Truth Social social media platform.

Trump, citing former National Security Advisor John Bolton, whom he appointed to his cabinet on the recommendation of his first term, as saying,"Putin has already won," despite the meeting being held in the US, pointed out the widespread fake news circulating in the media. He noted that the media was highlighting statements about his meeting with Putin by people he described as"permanently laid-off losers" and "stupid people."

Arguing that even if he got Moscow and Leningrad for free as part of the deal with Russia, the media would portray this as a"bad deal," Trump described these people as "sick" and "dishonest," adding,"They probably hate our country."

Shortly before this post, Trump had stated,"I will be meeting with European leaders shortly. They are wonderful people who want to see a deal made." It was claimed that US Vice President J.D. Vance would meet with senior Ukrainian and European officials in the UK, where he visited for official talks on August 9, to"determine common ground" before Trump and Putin's meeting on August 15.

Officials had reported that after Putin's meeting with Trump's Special Representative for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, on Ukraine on August 6, Trump held a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and several European leaders.

Trump and Putin are expected to discuss Ukraine in the US state of Alaska on August 15.