Trump, Putin meet in high-stakes Alaska summit as Ukraine ceasefire tops agenda

President Donald Trump will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday in Anchorage, Alaska, for what he has called a “feel-out meeting” aimed at exploring whether a ceasefire in Ukraine is achievable.

The summit marks the first face-to-face U.S.–Russia talks since June 2021, when President Joe Biden met Putin months before Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Alaska,  purchased from Russia in 1867,  was selected as a midpoint between Washington and Moscow.

“I’m not going to make a deal. It’s not up to me to make a deal,” Trump told reporters earlier this week. “I think a deal should be made for both (Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy). I’d like to see a ceasefire. I’d like to see the best deal that could be made for both parties. You know, it takes two to tango.”

Trump warned of “very severe consequences” for Russia if Putin refuses to move toward ending the war, adding that his ultimate goal is to set up a second, broader meeting.“We’re going to have a meeting with President Putin, President Zelenskyy, myself, and maybe we’ll bring some of the European leaders — maybe not … It’s going to be very important,” Trump said. “And I think President Putin will make peace.”

The president estimated a “25% chance” the Alaska summit could fail but argued the talks would still pave the way for negotiations between Putin and Zelenskyy — possibly involving land-swap proposals Zelenskyy has already rejected.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump accepted the meeting at Putin’s request.“The goal of this meeting for the president is to walk away with a better understanding of how we can end this war,” Leavitt said. “I think the president of the United States getting in the room with the president of Russia, sitting face-to-face rather than speaking over the telephone will give this president the best indication of how to end this war and where this is headed.”

Zelenskyy, who is not part of Friday’s summit, has insisted Ukraine must be directly involved in any peace talks.“Any decisions made against us, any decisions made without Ukraine — they are simultaneously decisions against peace,” Zelenskyy said Saturday. “These are dead decisions; they will never work. And what we all need is a real, living peace, one that people will respect.”

The Ukrainian leader also warned there is “no sign” Russia is preparing to end the war.“This war must be ended. Pressure must be exerted on Russia for the sake of a just peace,” Zelenskyy wrote on X Wednesday. “At present, there is no sign that the Russians are preparing to end the war. Our coordinated efforts and joint actions — of Ukraine, the United States, Europe, and all countries that seek peace — can definitely compel Russia to make peace.”

In recent days, Zelenskyy has floated the idea of high-level peace talks hosted by Turkey. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has offered to organize a summit including Ukraine, the United States, Russia, and Turkey. “We are ready for any format of meeting aimed at stopping the killings and ending the war,” Zelenskyy said.

Putin, meanwhile, praised Trump’s “sincere efforts” to resolve the conflict and signaled interest in further discussions on nuclear arms control. Both the U.S. and Russia hold the world’s largest nuclear arsenals, and the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty — which limits deployed warheads to 1,550 each — is set to expire in February.

Tensions between Washington and Moscow have escalated in recent weeks, with Trump ordering two U.S. nuclear submarines closer to Russia after provocative comments by a former Russian leader. The Kremlin urged restraint, warning all sides to be “very, very careful” about nuclear rhetoric.

Asked Thursday if meeting Putin risked rewarding the Russian president for invading Ukraine, Trump dismissed the suggestion.“No. I don’t think it’s a reward,” he said. “What we have is a situation that should have never started — it should have never started. It didn’t start under me. And for four years, it wasn’t even discussed. … This war would have never happened when I was president. If I were president, this war would have never happened. But millions of people have been killed and, I’m there for one reason: to see if I can solve this. This was Biden’s war.”