US President Donald Trump issued a stern warning to Russian President Vladimir Putin ahead of their high-stakes summit in Alaska.
Trump stated that Russia will face "severe economic consequences" if Putin doesn't show interest in de-escalating the Ukraine conflict.
He made the remarks on Friday (local time), ahead of the much-anticipated Alaska talks between him and the Russian President, which will focus on exploring ways to end the Russia-Ukraine war.
"Yes, Russian President Vladimir Putin will face severe economic consequences if he is not interested. I am not doing this for my health. I don't need it. I would like to focus on our country. But I am doing this to save a lot of lives," said Trump.
He made the remarks on board US Air Force One on his way to attend the face-to-face meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska that could determine not only the trajectory of the war in Ukraine but also the fate of European security.
On Wednesday, US President Donald Trump said there would be "very severe consequences" for Russia if President Vladimir Putin didn't agree to end the war in Ukraine during the two leaders' meeting on Friday, as per a report by CNN.
Trump said, "There will be consequences," during an event at the Kennedy Center in Washington. -- ANI