Ahead of crucial Putin meet, Trump warns Russia of 'very severe' consequences if war doesn't stop

Ahead of crucial meeting with Russian President Putin in Alaska, US President Donald Trump on Wednesday said that Russia will face "very severe" consequences unless it halts Ukraine war.

Trump added that he wants to hold a "quick second" meeting with Putin and Zelensky after the Alaska summit.

Additionally, President said that he could bring up a report suggesting Russia is at least partly responsible for a recent hack of the computer system that manages federal court documents when he meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin. "I guess I could. Are you surprised? ... That's what they do. They're good at it. We're good at it. We're actually better at it," Trump told reporters.


Trump is expected to meet Putin in Alaska on Friday.

The remark came soon after Trump consulted with European leaders, who said the president assured them he would make a priority of trying to achieve a ceasefire in Ukraine when he meets with Putin on Friday in Anchorage.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy joined several of Kyiv's main allies in the virtual meeting with the U.S. leader, and Zelenskyy told the group that Putin “is bluffing” ahead of the planned summit about Russia's ability to occupy all of Ukraine and shake off sanctions.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said afterward that “important decisions” could be made in Alaska, but he stressed that “fundamental European and Ukrainian security interests must be protected.”