Donald Trump has said Vladimir Putin will not be strong-armed into a deal on Ukraine.

On the eve of his meeting with Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump said the Russian leader would not confront him. Trump suggested that without him in power, Putin would have occupied all of Ukraine. He proposed Alaska as the location for a second meeting and emphasized the importance of talks to save lives. Trump avoided directly answering questions about rewarding Russia, reiterating that the war should never have started and that everyone is to blame.