Putin Hints He’ll Raise Issue of Nuclear Weapons
With the high-stakes summit between President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin just a day away, Putin struck a diplomatic tone on Thursday during a meeting with advisers in Moscow. According to NBC News, he praised Trump for making “quite energetic and sincere efforts” toward achieving peace in Ukraine.
While Putin did not reveal any specific plans related to the war in Ukraine, Reuters reports that he hinted the talks may expand beyond the conflict. He noted the upcoming summit in Alaska is intended “to create long-term conditions of 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.”
That statement suggests nuclear arms control could be a key topic. The U.S. and Russia hold the world’s largest nuclear arsenals, but their last major arms agreement—the New START treaty—is set to expire early next year.
The summit is scheduled to begin at 11:30 a.m. local time Friday (3:30 p.m. ET), according to The Washington Post. The White House says Trump and Putin will hold a one-on-one meeting followed by a joint press conference.
President Trump has stated he will not agree to any deal that involves ceding Ukrainian territory.
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