Trump and Putin to Meet in Alaska to Discuss Ukraine Conflict

A meeting between United States President Donald Trump and Russia's President Vladimir Putin is scheduled to take place in Alaska on August 15, 2025. This summit would mark the first face-to-face meeting between the two leaders since Joe Biden met Putin in Geneva in June 2021. The Kremlin has confirmed the summit, describing the location as "quite logical."

Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov stated that the presidents would likely focus on finding a long-term peaceful resolution to the Ukrainian crisis. The conflict, which began with Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, has resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of people and the displacement of millions.

Prior to the summit, Putin held discussions with the leaders of China and India. Trump, who has been working to broker peace in Ukraine, stated that the meeting would involve "swapping of territories" to benefit both Ukraine and Russia, without providing further details.

Negotiations between Russia and Ukraine have so far been unsuccessful, and it remains uncertain whether the summit will lead to a breakthrough. Russian attacks have caused widespread destruction and forced millions to flee their homes. Putin has rejected calls for a ceasefire and has ruled out talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at this stage.

During talks in Istanbul, Russian negotiators presented strict territorial demands, including Kyiv withdrawing from certain areas and renouncing Western military support. Trump and Putin last met in person at a G20 summit in Japan in 2019. The two leaders have spoken by telephone several times since January.

The Kremlin has extended an invitation to Trump to visit Russia. Putin also updated Chinese President Xi Jinping on his conversation with a US special envoy. Xi expressed support for a "long-term" solution to the conflict. China has expressed its desire for Russia and the United States to improve relations and work towards a political settlement of the Ukraine crisis.

Putin also spoke with India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Both countries have condemned new US tariffs related to India's oil purchases from Russia. Both Xi and Modi have proposed peace initiatives for Ukraine, though they have not gained significant traction.

Putin, who has been in power for over 25 years, has stated his willingness to meet with Zelensky during the "final phase" of negotiations. Zelensky has emphasized that Ukraine should be involved in the negotiations. Meanwhile, families with children are being evacuated from additional villages in the Donetsk region due to advancing Russian forces.