German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Monday pressed for a ceasefire in the war in Ukraine before President Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky meet.

The net effect of the Alaska summit was to give President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia a free pass to continue his war against his neighbor indefinitely without further penalty, pending talks on a broader peace deal.

Convinced there were relatively few matters left to resolve, and believing a truce would only prolong the war, Trump set aside his publicly stated goal of a temporary halt in fighting.

Zelensky has rejected Russian demands to cede Ukrainian land. The Ukrainian leader and his European partners, including the leaders of Britain, France and Germany, had lobbied the White House for weeks to demand that Moscow agree to a ceasefire before any negotiations.

Trump will be accompanied by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, and Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff on Air Force One for his flight to Alaska for his meeting with President Putin, the White House said.

The internet has eviscerated President Donald Trump over a photo portraying the president as a tough negotiator following his widely panned summit in Alaska with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin. “The goal is peace,

President Donald Trump said Monday during talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders that a potential ceasefire and who gets Ukrainian territory seized by Russia

After initially downplaying the summit’s significance, President Trump now says he will urge Russian President Vladimir Putin to accept a cease-fire in Ukraine, outlining two possible pathways depending on the Russian’s response.