Trump Threatens Putin with ‘Very Severe’ Consequences if Peace Process Stalls Ahead of Alaska Summit

Conservative News DailyAugust 15, 2025

0 0

President Donald Trump expressed that his upcoming meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin is aimed at achieving tangible results regarding peace, warning that insincerity on Putin’s part would lead too “economically severe” consequences.Speaking aboard Air Force One en route to Alaska, Trump emphasized that his focus is on saving lives and not personal gain. While Ukraine’s future boundaries are to be decided by Ukraine itself, Trump stated his intention to bring parties to the negotiating table, asserting that Putin would have taken all of Ukraine if Trump were not president. He suggested that security guarantees, possibly involving European countries but not NATO, might be discussed.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio highlighted that Trump seeks to quickly gauge whether peace is achievable through direct interaction with Putin. Trump also mentioned a subsequent meeting involving Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and potentially European leaders to continue the peace process. Zelenskyy, not part of the initial meeting, expressed hope that the talks would open a path toward just peace and substantive trilateral discussions between Ukraine, the U.S.,and Russia. Putin commented that the U.S. is making sincere efforts to stop hostilities and reach mutually beneficial agreements, including long-term peace and control over strategic weapons.

the meeting is framed as a high-stakes, initial step toward resolving the conflict in Ukraine through diplomacy, with the possibility of notable consequences if peace efforts are not genuine.

President Donald Trump said he wants his Friday meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin to produce results, or there could be consequences.

As he spoke to the media aboard Air Force One en route to Alaska, Trump said there will be a price if Putin is not sincere in wanting peace, saying he would pursue “economically severe” punishments, according to ABC.

”Yes, it will be very severe. I’m not doing this for my health. OK? 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.

Ukraine will decide the future of its boundaries, but Trump said he expects the issue to be discussed.

“I’ve got to let Ukraine make that decision, and I think they’ll make a proper decision. But I’m not here to negotiate for Ukraine. I’m here to get them at a table,” he said.

“And I think you have two sides. 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 said security guarantees could be on the table, as well.

“Maybe, along with Europe and other countries. Not in the form of NATO, because that’s not going to, you know, there are certain things that aren’t going to happen. But, yeah, along with Europe, there’s a possibility of that,” Trump explained.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio noted that for Trump, “[H]is hope is to interact with Mr. Putin tomorrow and sort of get a sense very quickly and early whether a peace is possible or not.”

On Thursday, Trump lowered expectations of a breakthrough, indicating this was the first step in a process.

“I think it’s going to be a good meeting, but the more important meeting will be the second meeting that we’re having. We’re going to have a meeting with President Putin, President Zelenskyy, myself and maybe we’ll bring some of the European leaders, maybe not,” Trump said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who is not included in the meeting, explained his hopes for the session.

“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,” he posted on X.

Earlier Trump posted a two-word message on .

“HIGH STAKES!!!!” he wrote.

Earlier this week, Putin said the United States was “making, in my opinion, quite energetic and sincere efforts to stop the hostilities, stop the crisis and reach agreements that are of interest to all parties involved in this conflict,” according to Reuters.

This was happening, Putin said, “in order to create long-term conditions for peace between our countries, and in Europe, and in the world as a whole; if, by the next stages, we reach agreements in the area of control over strategic offensive weapons.”