By Andrea Shalal, Thomas Escritt and Tom Balmforth WASHINGTON/BERLIN (Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump threatened "severe consequences" if Russia's Vladimir Putin blocked peace in Ukraine but also said on Wednesday that a meeting between the pair could swiftly be followed by a second that included the leader of Ukraine.

Sentiment toward Russia in Alaska has cooled since Putin invaded Ukraine in 2022. The Anchorage Assembly voted unanimously to suspend its three-decade-long sister city relationship with Magadan, Russia, and the Juneau Assembly sent its sister city of Vladivostok a letter expressing concern.

In an ironic twist, President Donald Trump is set to discuss the war in Ukraine with Russian leader Vladimir Putin at a military base in Alaska that was crucial to countering the Soviet Union during the height of Cold War and still plays a role today.