00:00Trump to Prioritize Peace Agreement, Zelensky to Visit D.C.
00:03Donald Trump has said he would prefer a permanent peace agreement to end the Russia-Ukraine war
00:08over a temporary ceasefire. Writing on Truth Social after leaving a meeting with Russian
00:12leader Vladimir Putin in Alaska without reaching any deal, the U.S. president said that ceasefires
00:17oftentimes do not hold up. Trump had earlier said that great progress was made during the meeting,
00:21but we didn't get there when it came to a deal. On his flight back to Washington,
00:25he held a call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who later said he would travel to
00:29D.C. on Monday. Trump said it had been a great and very successful day in Alaska after arriving
00:35back in Washington. He added that the meeting with Putin had gone very well, as had phone calls with
00:40Zelensky, European leaders, and NATO Secretary General Mark Ruda. It was determined by all
00:44that the best way to end the horrific war between Russia and Ukraine is to go directly to a peace
00:49agreement, which would end the war, and not a mere ceasefire agreement, which oftentimes do not hold
00:53up, he wrote. If all works out with Zelensky on Monday, we will then schedule a meeting with
00:57President Putin, Trump added. Zelensky said that a real peace must be achieved, one that will be
01:02lasting, not just another pause between Russian invasions. Putin and Trump's arrival at Joint
01:06Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage was carefully choreographed. The Russian president,
01:11who is facing an international criminal court arrest warrant for alleged war crimes in Ukraine,
01:15stepped off his jet and onto a red carpet to be warmly received by Trump. Over the roar of AB-2 bomber
01:20overhead, the two leaders posed for photos before climbing in Trump's presidential vehicle,
01:25known as the Beast. But despite the pageantry and public shows of geniality, as well as the
01:29Kremlin's earlier estimate that the meeting could last six or seven hours, Trump and Putin emerged
01:33less than three hours later with just a joint statement to the press. Putin said that in order
01:38to make a settlement lasting and long-term, we need to eliminate the root causes of the conflict in
01:42Ukraine. The phrasing indicated that Putin has not budged from his long-standing position that
01:46Ukraine should withdraw from four regions partially occupied by Russia, Donetsk, Luhansk,
01:51Kherson and Zeparzya and give up its efforts to join NATO. Zelensky has ruled out ceding territory,
01:56saying it would embolden Russia to invade again in the future, as it had in 2022 eight years after
02:01illegally annexing Crimea. Putin also urged Ukrainians and Europeans to not throw a wrench
02:06into the peace process. Trump remained silent as his guest spent about eight minutes addressing the
02:11media. After being given the floor, the US president said he had a fantastic relationship
02:15with President Putin. Vladimir, even though many points were agreed, he said, a few remain,
02:21one is the most significant without specifying. Neither took questions. The two also did not
02:26attend the planned bilateral working lunch that was set to follow the talks.
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