President Donald Trump has revealed that discussions about reducing U.S. and Russian nuclear arsenals have taken place with President Vladimir Putin, with any potential agreement linked to the end of the Ukraine crisis.
This revelation came from an August 15 meeting between the two leaders in Alaska. Trump shared this information with reporters while updating them on his more recent diplomatic engagements concerning the ongoing conflict.
Trump’s update included details of a phone call he had with Putin, which followed an August 18 White House meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European partners. That meeting was focused squarely on Ukraine’s immediate security needs.
On that subject, Trump indicated a policy direction where European nations would provide the bulk of the security guarantees for Ukraine. He said the United States would be involved, but in a supportive “backup” role, as the specifics of such an arrangement are still being worked out.