Donald Trump plans to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on August 15th to discuss ending the conflict in Ukraine. This information was shared on Trump’s social media platform, Truth. Trump stated that he believes a ceasefire agreement is imminent, including Ukrainian President Zelensky and all involved parties, to end the three-year-long war. Earlier, Trump told reporters at the White House that any agreement might involve exchanging some territories. He described the exchange as a step towards a brighter future. While the Kremlin has not confirmed the meeting, Trump announced on social media, both sides hope the meeting can occur next week. The summit could be a pivotal moment in the Russia-Ukraine war, which began more than three years ago. Yet, there’s no certainty that fighting will cease, given the differing peace terms held by Moscow and Kyiv. Trump hinted that any agreement may involve exchanging some territories, but provided no specifics. Some analysts close to the Kremlin suggest Russia might offer to withdraw from territories it controls outside the four regions it claims. Trump previously indicated his meeting with Putin would precede any talks with Ukrainian President Zelensky. This sparked concern in Europe that Ukraine might be excluded from the efforts to end the largest conflict on the continent since World War II. Trump’s choice to host an adversary on American soil goes against the idea that the meeting would happen in a different country. This decision may be interpreted as a form of recognizing Putin, despite ongoing efforts by the US and its allies to isolate him due to the war. During Putin’s early presidency, he regularly met with American leaders. These meetings became less frequent as tensions rose between Russia and the West after Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 and allegations of interfering with the 2016 US elections. Putin last visited the US in 2015, attending the US General Assembly meeting in New York. The Alaska meeting will be the first US-Russia summit since 2021, when President Joe Biden met with Putin in Geneva.
