U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday estimated that his upcoming meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the U.S. state of Alaska has a 25 percent chance of not being successful, reported Xinhua.
In an interview with Fox News Radio, Trump said his meeting with Putin is like "a chess game," adding that he believes Putin is arriving with the intention of making progress toward reaching a deal on the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
He said if positive progress is made during the meeting, it would lay the groundwork for a second one, which would also include Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Trump on Wednesday warned that Russia would face "very severe consequences" if Putin refuses to agree to a ceasefire in the ongoing conflict with Ukraine.
The Putin-Trump meeting is set for Friday in Anchorage, Alaska.
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold one-on-one talks with U.S. President Donald Trump before the meeting of delegations from both countries, Russian presidential aide Yury Ushakov said Thursday, reported Xinhua.
The talks will center on the settlement of the Ukrainian crisis and "the most pressing international and regional issues," Ushakov said.
The talks are scheduled at 11:30 local time (1930 GMT) in the Elmendorf-Richardson military base in Anchorage, the largest city in the U.S. state of Alaska.
The two leaders are expected to exchange views on further developing bilateral ties, including in trade and the economy, Ushakov said.
Putin and Trump will hold a joint press conference following the talks, he added.
The Russian delegation will include Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Ushakov, Defense Minister Andrey Belousov, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov, and Putin's investment chief Kirill Dmitriev, the Kremlin aide said.
Source: www.dailyfinland.fi
