President Donald Trump has announced he will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin next Friday in Alaska to discuss ending the war in Ukraine—a potential breakthrough after weeks of expressing frustration over the lack of progress toward peace.
The Kremlin has yet to confirm the details, but both countries had previously suggested a meeting could happen as early as next week. The summit could prove pivotal in the conflict, which began more than three years ago with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, though Moscow and Kyiv remain far apart on their conditions for peace.
Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump hinted that any agreement might involve “some swapping of territories,” without elaborating. Analysts, including those close to the Kremlin, have speculated Russia could relinquish areas outside the four regions it claims to have annexed.
Trump confirmed his meeting with Putin will take place before any direct talks involving Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, fueling concerns in Europe that Ukraine could be sidelined in negotiations to end the continent’s largest conflict since World War II. Hosting Putin on U.S. soil—rather than in a neutral country—marks a significant diplomatic gesture, breaking with prior expectations and granting the Russian leader a degree of validation despite ongoing Western efforts to isolate him.
Putin last visited the U.S. in 2015, attending the U.N. General Assembly in New York. The Alaska summit will be the first U.S.-Russia leaders’ meeting since 2021, when former President Joe Biden met Putin in Geneva.
Trump said the meeting was delayed due to “security arrangements,” but stressed that both Putin and Zelenskyy “want to see peace.” He suggested a potential deal could involve territorial exchanges “to the betterment of both” nations.
The announcement follows Trump’s recent ultimatum to impose additional sanctions and secondary tariffs on countries purchasing Russian oil if Moscow did not move toward a settlement. The deadline passed Friday, though the White House did not comment on whether the sanctions will still be enforced in light of the planned summit.
Meanwhile, fighting on Ukraine’s 1,000-kilometer front line remains intense, with Russian forces pressing in the eastern Donetsk region and Ukrainian troops struggling with manpower shortages. Ukrainian commanders on the ground expressed deep skepticism that Russia is sincere about peace, insisting that military defeat remains the only way to end the invasion.
In the lead-up to the summit, Putin has been making a series of calls to world leaders—including China’s Xi Jinping and India’s Narendra Modi—possibly to brief allies on a potential settlement. However, U.S. analysts caution that Putin may still be seeking to prolong the war, extract concessions from Washington, and outlast both Ukraine and Western support.
Source: AP
