The Friday meeting in Alaska between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin may be the moment the world hears that "Putin wants to make a deal," retired U.S. Army Lt. Col. Tony Shaffer told Newsmax on Thursday.
Shaffer told "The Chris Salcedo Show" that Trump is certainly ready to begin working out the terms of a ceasefire with Ukraine, and he believes Putin is tired of war.
"At this point, there are some consequences Putin has to face. Russia needs access to markets. Trump can provide that," he said.
Shaffer pointed out that Russia's economy has been hurt badly by the price of conflict.
"Russia does not want an unending war that will continue to drain resources unneededly. Therefore, I think Putin is motivated to stop the war," he said.
Shaffer said while Ukraine's needs and the motivations of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy are important, the even larger consideration for Trump is how the U.S. fits into the picture.
"The question becomes: How does President Trump put together a deal that satisfies most people, not all people? And ultimately, part of the deal here is a larger framework that has to be reestablished between Russia, the largest nuclear power on the planet, and us, the other nuclear power on the planet," he said.
"That's going to be one of the key things they try to sort through. So it's not just about Ukraine, it's about how do we coexist with the other large nuclear power on the planet."
Shaffer said he believes Trump understands that European leaders want the war to drag on since they've "benefited greatly" from the war.
"They don't want peace. And that's why President Trump has to do the deal that best suits the United States and our interests," he said.
Trump expressed optimism on Thursday about the possibility of peace between Putin and Zelenskyy.
"We have a meeting with President Putin tomorrow. I think it's going to be a good meeting," Trump told reporters. "But the more important meeting will be the second one we're planning."
"We're going to have a meeting with President Putin, President Zelenskyy, myself, and maybe some European leaders. Maybe not. We'll see," Trump said.
Information from Reuters was used in this report.
GET TODAY NEWSMAX+:
NEWSMAX is the fastest-growing cable news channel in America with more than 30 million people watching!
Reuters Institute reports NEWSMAX is one of the top news brands in the U.S.
You need to watch NEWSMAX today.
Get it with great shows from Rob Schmitt, Greta Van Susteren, Greg Kelly, Carl Higbie, Rob Finnerty – and many more!
Find the NEWSMAX channel on your cable system – Go Here Now
BEST OFFER:
Sign up for NEWSMAX+ and get NEWSMAX, our streaming channel NEWSMAX2 and our military channel World at War.
Find hundreds of shows, movies and specials.
Even get Jon Voight's special series and President Trump's comedy programs and much more!
Watch NEWSMAX+ on your smartphone or home TV app.
Watch NEWSMAX anytime, anywhere!
Start your FREE trial now: NewsmaxPlus.com
Jim Mishler ✉
Jim Mishler, a seasoned reporter, anchor and news director, has decades of experience covering crime, politics and environmental issues.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.