The world’s attention is fixed on Alaska, where an extraordinary diplomatic encounter is about to unfold. In just a few hours, United States President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet face-to-face in what is being described as one of the most consequential summits in recent years. The stakes could hardly be higher. With the Russia-Ukraine war now dragging into its fourth year, Trump has made a bold call for an immediate ceasefire, declaring to reporters aboard Air Force One that he would accept nothing less. Speaking with unusual urgency on Friday, the president said, “I want it today,” as Air Force One headed for a Cold War-era airbase in Alaska — a venue steeped in history and symbolism, now poised to host talks that could change the trajectory of a major conflict.
While Trump frames the meeting as a push for peace, the initiative has sparked unease among Ukraine’s leadership and its European allies. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, notably excluded from the Alaska talks, fears the discussions could result in an arrangement that effectively locks in Russia’s control over roughly one-fifth of Ukraine’s territory. In Kyiv and across Europe, there is concern that Trump’s eagerness to broker a deal could lead to concessions at Ukraine’s expense, freezing the war without resolving its core issues.
Attempting to dispel those fears before touching down in Alaska, Trump clarified his position to the press. “I’m not here to negotiate for Ukraine, I’m here to get them to a table,” he explained. The former reality television star turned president added that any territorial compromises or land swaps would ultimately be for Ukraine to decide, not Washington. His remarks sought to reassure allies that the United States would not unilaterally determine Ukraine’s fate, though skepticism remains.
The meeting itself is set to take place at around 11 a.m. local time in Anchorage, Alaska’s largest city. It will be the first in-person conversation between the two leaders since Trump’s return to the White House. For Trump, the stakes are not only geopolitical but also personal: a successfully brokered truce could elevate his image as a global statesman and strengthen his bid for recognition as a peacemaker, potentially even positioning him as a contender for the Nobel Peace Prize.
Russian officials, meanwhile, have described the atmosphere leading up to the summit as tense and confrontational. Kirill Dmitriev, Moscow’s special envoy, said the leaders would be discussing the war in Ukraine along with the full spectrum of US-Russia relations. Russia’s RIA news agency reported that the tone, at least in private briefings, was “combative,” hinting at the possibility of sharp exchanges behind closed doors.
Trump has floated the idea that if Friday’s talks prove fruitful, they could pave the way for a second, even more significant meeting — a three-way summit involving himself, Putin, and Zelenskyy. The Kremlin has cautiously welcomed that possibility. Spokesman Dmitry Peskov suggested that a trilateral gathering could indeed be arranged, provided the Alaska talks yield concrete progress. Peskov also revealed that the meeting could stretch on for six to seven hours, transitioning from an expected one-on-one format to include aides and advisers as discussions deepen.
From Kyiv, Zelenskyy issued a statement expressing hope that the Alaska talks would lay the groundwork for what he called a “just peace,” one that includes Ukraine’s voice in shaping any agreement. However, he also underscored that Russia’s aggression continued unabated. Hours before the summit, a Russian ballistic missile struck Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk region, killing one civilian and injuring another. The strike served as a stark reminder of the ongoing violence overshadowing any diplomatic gestures.
“It’s time to end the war, and the necessary steps must be taken by Russia,” Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram. He emphasised that Kyiv was counting on American support to pressure Moscow into meaningful action. For now, all eyes turn to Anchorage, where two of the world’s most powerful leaders will sit down in a meeting that could either open the door to peace or further entrench the divisions of a war with no clear end in sight.
