Former national security adviser Robert OBrien argued that Russian President Vladimir Putin will come out of the upcoming summit with President Trump in Alaska loser, arguing that Ukraine will need real security guarantees as a part of any potential ceasefire agreement.
OBrien, who worked for Trump during his first term, told CNNs Jessica Dean on Saturday that Putins military invasion of Ukraine, which kicked off in late February 2022, has been a total failure.
But Trump will understand face. Hes very gracious, hes charming, but Putins gonna walk out of this loser, OBrien said when discussing the forthcoming Trump-Putin summit.
Trump, who revealed the details of the summit with Putin on Friday, indicated at the White House that some territorial swapping would take place between Russia and Ukraine as part of the peace negotiations, an idea Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed the idea on Saturday morning.
Of course, we will not give Russia any awards for what it has done. The Ukrainian people deserve peace, Zelensky said.
The White House is considering inviting Zelensky to the Alaska meeting, and Trump is open to hosting a trilateral meeting with both leaders.
Putin reportedly gave a ceasefire proposal to Trumps special envoy Steve Witkoff during their Wednesday meeting in Moscow, which would include Ukraines troops retreating from the Donetsk region, letting the Kremlin take it, Luhansk and Crimea over.
OBrien, who is now the chairman of American Global Strategies LLC, said it is not necessary for Zelensky to be involved in the talks in Alaska.
Yes, the matter cant be resolved without Ukraine, but President Trump has met with Zelensky along several times, including at the Vatican, he said on CNN.
Tags Alaska Donald Trump Kyiv Moscow Robert O'Brien russia Russia-Ukraine war Steve Witkoff Trump administration ukraine Vladimir Putin Volodymyr Zelensky white houseCopyright 2025 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
