DONALD Trump has said his high-stakes meeting with Vladimir Putin will be like a “chess game” – and warned there is a 25 percent chance of a total flop.
He also revealed there are already plans for a more “important” second meeting – and vowed he won’t make a deal without Volodymyr Zelensky.
Speaking just hours before the crucial Alaska summit, the President said he thought Putin would make a deal, but that it won’t come until Zelensky is in the room.
Trump told Fox News Radio: “The second meeting is going to be very, very important, because that’s going to be a meeting where they make a deal.
“And I don’t want to use the word ‘divvy’ things up. But you know, to a certain extent, it’s not a bad term, okay?”
The President seems to think that the foundations for some kind of peace deal are on the cards tomorrow – but isn’t convinced that fighting can end straight away.
He said: “I don’t know that we’re going to get an immediate ceasefire but I think it’s going to come.
“I’m more interested in an immediate peace deal – getting peace fast.
“Depending on what happens with my meeting, I’m going to be calling President Zelensky and let’s get him over to wherever we’re going to meet.”
When asked if he had told Zelensky to visit after the talks, Trump said: “I don’t want to talk about a second meeting to him, I don’t even want to indicate there might be a second meeting.
“But it would be certainly convenient if we had a very good meeting because I’m going to let them negotiate their deal. I’m not going to negotiate their deal.”
European leaders have been warning the US president against making a deal without Ukraine and have said Zelensky must be present for any future talks.
Putin earlier tried to butter up Trump by hailing his “sincere efforts” to reach peace.
The Russian tyrant had the cheek to suggest Moscow and Washington could strike a nuclear arms deal after meeting with his top cronies – even as he gears up to test his lethal nuclear cruise missile.
Earlier reports had suggested that Trump was planning to put a bombshell offer on the table in the hope Putin would agree to it.
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