US President Donald Trump has warned Russian President Vladimir Putin of “serious consequences” if Russia blocks efforts to bring peace to Ukraine. Speaking on Wednesday, Trump suggested that if his meeting with Putin in Alaska on Friday does not go well, Russia could face punishment, possibly in the form of economic sanctions. He did not give details about the exact measures. Trump said the Alaska talks would be the first step towards a second meeting, this time including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. “If the first meeting goes well, we’ll have another one almost immediately,” he told reporters. “I’d like to be there with both President Putin and President Zelenskyy if they agree.” He also blamed the war on the Biden administration, saying, “This is Biden’s doing, not mine. He got us into this. If I had been President, this war would never have happened. But now I’m here to fix it.” Trump highlighted his past record in stopping conflicts, claiming, “If we can save many lives, that will be a great achievement. In the past six months, I have stopped five wars. We also destroyed Iran’s nuclear program completely.” Trump’s firm positions before the Alaska talks The warning came after a high-level online meeting between Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and European leaders, hosted by Germany, to set firm positions before the Alaska talks. “We had a very good call. President Zelenskyy was there too. I’d give it a 10 out of 10, very friendly,” Trump said. French President Emmanuel Macron stated that Trump agreed Ukrainian land could not be given away without Kyiv’s approval. He also said Trump supported giving Ukraine security guarantees in any peace deal after the war. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stressed that borders must be respected. “If Russia shows no willingness to move during the Alaska talks, then the US and Europe should increase pressure,” he said, adding that Trump strongly agreed with this stance. The Alaska meeting aims to address the war in Ukraine, now in its fourth year, the biggest conflict in Europe since World War II. Trump has previously hinted that some kind of land swap might help end the war, an idea that has caused serious concern in Kyiv and among European leaders.