President Zelensky Warns Trump About Putin Ahead Of A Meeting In Alaska

President Zelensky with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. (Twitter/@ZelenskyyUa)

JAKARTA - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Wednesday he had warned United States President Donald Trump about Russian President Vladimir Putin "tricking" about his desire to end the war ahead of his second meeting tomorrow.

Kremlin leaders and the White House will meet in Alaska on Friday, where Kyiv and his allies fear the two leaders may try to dictate the terms of peace in a war that has lasted for 3.5 years.

"I told the US President and all of our European counterparts that Putin bullied," he said at a joint briefing in Berlin with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.

"He tried to put pressure on before gatherings in Alaska across Ukraine's fronts. Russia is trying to show that they can occupy all of Ukraine," he added.

President Zelensky's comments, delivered after a virtual call with President Trump and European leaders, came as Russian forces stepped up pressure on the battlefield in eastern Ukraine, with the aim of forcing Kyiv to give up its territory.

President Zelensky, who hopes the main topic of negotiations in Alaska is an immediate ceasefire, added that any discussion on the region should be discussed in a meeting of the three leaders.

"Regarding our territorial principles and integrity, in the end all of this was decided at the level of leaders," he said.

"Without Ukraine, it is impossible to decide this. And, by the way, everyone also supports this," President Zelensky said.

He added that President Trump told him he would provide a brief explanation of his negotiations with President Putin.