US President Donald Trump has warned his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, of "very severe consequences" if he fails to agree to end the war in Ukraine following their summit Friday in Alaska.
Trump stopped short of specifying what those consequences might be.
His remarks came after a virtual meeting hosted by Germany that included leaders from Ukraine, the United Kingdom and France.
During the meeting, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Putin was "bluffing" about seeking peace.
Zelenskyy, Starmer meet in London ahead of Putin-Trump summit
US President Donald Trump is set to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday in Alaska, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is in London on Thursday to meet British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, as European leaders work to present a unified stance on Ukraine ahead of the summit.
Starmer greeted Zelenskyy with a hug and handshake on the steps of 10 Downing Street.
Zelenskyy arrived in the British capital from Germany, where he took part in a Berlin-hosted virtual meeting Wednesday with European and NATO leaders and Trump
Trump said his talks with Putin would aim to "set the table" for a timely follow-up that would include Zelenskyy.
"If the first one goes okay, we'll have a quick second one," Trump said. "I would like to do it almost immediately, and we'll have a quick second meeting between President Putin and President Zelenskyy and myself, if they'd like to have me there."
Starmer on Wednesday called the summit "hugely important."
He said there was finally a chance for a solution to the conflict "because of the work that the president [Trump] has put in."
The British prime minister added that he was prepared to support further sanctions on Russia if the Kremlin fails to engage.
