U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are set to meet face-to-face in Alaska today, marking their first one-on-one encounter in six years. The talks, held against the backdrop of the ongoing Ukraine war, will take place at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, outside Anchorage — a site rich in symbolism as former Russian territory purchased by the United States in 1867.
The White House is downplaying expectations, framing the Trump-Putin summit as a “listening exercise” rather than a venue for a full-scale peace deal. Trump has said the goal is to “set the table” for a possible future meeting involving Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Speaking from the White House yesterday, Trump declared:
“If I wasn’t president, Putin would much rather… take over all of Ukraine. But I am president, and he’s not going to mess around with me.”
He added that he would know “in the first few minutes” whether the meeting would go well, warning that if not, “it would end very quickly.” Trump has suggested “give and take” on boundaries between Russia and Ukraine, sparking concern in Kyiv and across Europe over the possibility of redrawn borders by force.
Zelensky Excluded, Warns Against ‘Dead Decisions’
Zelensky, notably absent from the Alaska talks, has insisted that any agreement reached without Ukraine’s participation would be meaningless. “Dead decisions,” he warned earlier this week, echoing the position of European allies who say no deal should proceed without Kyiv’s consent.
The Ukrainian leader will wait for a phone call from Trump to gauge whether Putin is open to what the U.S. president calls a “fair deal.” The White House has estimated a “25% chance” the talks could fail.
Military Escalation Ahead of Summit
Fighting has intensified on Ukraine’s eastern front. On Thursday, Kyiv ordered the evacuation of families with children from Druzhkivka in Donetsk as Russian forces reportedly advanced up to 10 kilometers near Dobropillia and Druzhkivka — their largest gain in a single day in over a year, according to analysis from the Institute for the Study of War.
In Russia’s Volgograd region, an oil refinery caught fire after debris from a Ukrainian drone strike, though officials say the blaze has been extinguished.
Alaska: A Symbolic Meeting Ground
The location of the Trump-Putin meeting carries historical weight. Alaska, once part of the Russian Empire, lies just across the Bering Strait from Russia’s eastern coast. Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, where the leaders will meet, is the state’s largest military installation, home to more than 30,000 people and a legacy of Cold War tensions.
Protests in Anchorage
Ahead of the summit, protesters gathered in Anchorage waving Ukrainian flags and displaying banners reading “Alaska stands with Ukraine.” Demonstrators urged Trump to hold firm against any territorial concessions to Moscow.
What’s at Stake
Putin’s conditions for peace have remained unchanged since June, when Russia demanded Ukraine reduce its military, forswear NATO membership, and recognize Moscow’s annexation of Crimea and four eastern regions. Trump, meanwhile, has repeatedly promised to end the war quickly — a pledge that has so far proved elusive.
Whether today’s Alaska summit will yield progress, stall, or deepen divisions remains uncertain. What is clear is that the war in Ukraine continues to claim lives daily, and global attention will be fixed on Anchorage as the two leaders sit down across the table, translators at their sides, history in the balance.
