Donald Trump confirmed that he will meet with Vladimir Putin and that the summit will take place on Friday, August 15, 2025, in Alaska, the U.S. state closest to Russia. The announcement was made by the President of the United States through social media, where he described the meeting as “highly anticipated” and highlighted that it will be the first between both leaders during his second term.
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The Republican leader did not provide any more details about the meeting, such as where in Alaska it will take place, although it is assumed that the central topic of conversation will be the war in Ukraine.
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The Russian side, meanwhile, through Kremlin spokesperson Yuri Ushakov, commented that “Russia and the United States are close neighbors and share a border. And it seems totally logical that our delegation simply crosses the Bering Strait and that such an important and anticipated summit between the leaders of both countries is held in Alaska.”
A few days ago, Putin had proposed to meet with Trump in the United Arab Emirates.
Negotiations amid tensions
According to NBC News, a White House official reported that Russia has presented a series of demands for a possible ceasefire in the Ukraine war and now the United States is seeking the support of Kiev and European allies. Since the beginning of the invasion, President Volodymyr Zelensky has reiterated that his government will not accept ceding territories that Moscow has annexed.
This Friday, American and European national security advisors were planning to participate in a joint call to align positions on discussions with Moscow. Among the participants were Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and special envoys Steve Witkoff and Keith Kellogg.
Meeting about Ukraine without Ukraine?
Trump told the press in the Oval Office that he does not consider a prior meeting between Putin and Zelensky essential for the bilateral meeting with Russia to take place. Although the White House considered a trilateral meeting, the Kremlin rejected that option. The Russian president stated that the interest in the meeting was mutual and expressed that he does not oppose meeting with Zelensky, but that the necessary conditions have not yet been met.
On the other hand, the President of Ukraine once again blamed Russia for prolonging the war and reiterated that peace must begin with a ceasefire. Zelensky stated that he is willing to meet in different formats, but ruled out any negotiations that would allow Moscow to maintain control of Crimea.
However, on Friday afternoon, during an event with leaders from Azerbaijan and Armenia for a peace agreement between the two countries, Trump suggested that “a swapping of territories” between Russia and Ukraine is being considered as part of a peace deal. He acknowledged that the issue is “very complicated” and that details will be discussed later on.