A potential pathway to nuclear disarmament has been linked to the end of the Ukraine crisis in talks between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump revealed the discussions on Monday.
The topic was first broached during a face-to-face meeting between the two leaders in Alaska on August 15. This long-term strategic discussion occurred just days before Trump’s meetings focused on the immediate conflict.
More recently, Trump spoke with Putin again by phone. This conversation was a follow-up to an August 18 summit in Washington with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders, where Ukraine’s security was the main agenda item.
Regarding that security, Trump has proposed a plan where Europe takes the lead in providing guarantees. He clarified that the United States would participate, but in a “backup” capacity, supporting the European-led efforts.