US President Donald Trump will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Anchorage, Alaska, on Friday (August 15), the White House confirmed on Tuesday (August 12).
Anchorage is a midway location between Washington and Moscow, offering a neutral ground for what could be sensitive discussions.
Trump says he’ll know in “first two minutes” if Putin deal possible
Trump said on Monday he expects to determine almost immediately whether his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin can yield a deal to end the war in Ukraine.
“At the end of that meeting, probably the first two minutes, I’ll know exactly whether or not a deal can be made,” Trump told reporters during a White House press conference announcing plans for a federal takeover of Washington’s police force to combat crime.
Friday’s sit-down in Alaska, will be “really a feel-out meeting,” Trump said, adding, “It’ll be good, but it might be bad… I may say, ‘lots of luck, keep fighting.’ Or I may say, ‘we can make a deal.’”
Ceasefire vs territorial gains
Putin is pushing to secure Russia’s battlefield gains since its February 2022 invasion, while Trump is pressing for a ceasefire that has so far remained elusive. Critics in Ukraine and Europe fear any agreement could tilt toward Moscow, especially if struck without Kyiv’s direct involvement.
Zelensky’s absence from the table
When pressed on whether Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky would be included in the talks, Trump said, “Zelenskyy has been to a lot of meetings… nothing happened.”
Trump suggested a follow-up meeting could include “Zelenskyy and Putin” or “Putin and Zelenskyy and me”. He added that after the Alaska meeting, he would call Zelenskyy and European leaders to “tell them what kind of a deal — I’m not going to make a deal. It’s not up to me to make a deal.”
A complicated relationship
Trump’s tone toward both Putin and Zelensky has shifted in recent months. Early in his administration, he criticised Zelensky — even ejecting him from the Oval Office in February after questioning his gratitude for US support. He has also expressed frustration with Putin for not moving faster toward a ceasefire.
European leaders push back
With Kyiv and European leaders so far excluded from the Alaska summit, Germany announced it will host a virtual meeting on Wednesday involving Trump, Zelensky, NATO’s chief, and other European leaders.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s spokesperson, Steffen Meyer, stressed: “Borders must not be shifted by force… Ukraine should decide its own fate independently and autonomously.”