Trump and Putin to Meet in Alaska to Discuss Ukraine War

In 2019, President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia and President Trump met at the Group of 20 summit in Osaka, Japan. Recently, the American leader agreed to a meeting with the Russian president in Alaska to discuss ending the war in Ukraine.

For months, discussions of a summit to address the war in Ukraine have been ongoing between Moscow and Washington. President Trump announced he would meet with President Putin in Alaska on August 15th. The announcement provided no further details. Given that Ukraine will not be involved in the meeting, the chances of a breakthrough are considered slim. However, a summit would represent a significant shift in U.S. policy. The West has largely treated Mr. Putin as an outcast since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, which resulted in widespread destruction and numerous deaths. The fact that an American president is willing to meet with him is seen as a diplomatic victory for the Kremlin.

Since Mr. Trump took office, the possibility of a summit between the American president and Mr. Putin has been raised repeatedly. While the Russian leader has been eager for a meeting, he hesitated to take concrete steps toward ending the war while he believed Russia was advancing into Ukraine.

The summit was requested by Russia just as the deadline loomed for Mr. Trump’s new primary and secondary sanctions. The news of the meeting emerged shortly after Mr. Trump’s special envoy held a meeting with Mr. Putin in the Kremlin. It is possible that Mr. Putin is using the summit as a stalling tactic and a way to improve relations with Washington. On a larger scale, the summit aligns with Mr. Putin’s belief that great powers should determine their own spheres of influence. Mr. Putin believes Russia's vast nuclear arsenal makes it a world power, even though it produces little that the rest of the world wants apart from energy.

claiming eastern Ukraine as Russian, keeping Ukraine out of NATO, preventing the alliance from expanding, limiting the size of Ukraine’s military, and ensuring its government is friendly toward Moscow. Mr. Trump has stated his desire to end the war in Ukraine. He has also expressed interest in a Nobel Peace Prize, linking it to his efforts in Ukraine.

Despite his frustration with Mr. Putin, Mr. Trump has authorized more arms sales for Ukraine and criticized Russia's actions. He has also expressed his desire for the war to end. Although Mr. Trump has threatened sanctions against Russia, he has conceded they might not have an effect.

While previous American presidents might have agreed to a summit as a reward for concessions toward a peace deal, there is no sign that Mr. Putin has changed his attitude toward rejecting any such outcome. Russia has minimal direct trade with the United States. Mr. Trump has not imposed sharp tariffs on Russian imports. The summit will not include Ukraine, one of the main actors in the war. Europe, which also has a large stake in the outcome of the war, will also not be represented.