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The American leader has agreed to a meeting with the Russian president in Alaska on Friday to discuss ending the war in Ukraine.
Aug. 14, 2025, 7:17 a.m. ET
President Trump is set to meet with President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia in Alaska this Friday. The abrupt nature of the summit and Mr. Trump’s penchant for pursuing deals are feeding questions about the potential outcome.
The meeting, arranged in barely a week, will mark a significant policy change for the United States. Washington has largely treated Mr. Putin as a pariah since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, which has caused hundreds of thousands of deaths and widespread destruction for both countries. The mere fact that an American president is willing to meet is considered a diplomatic victory for the Kremlin.
On Wednesday, President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine joined a phone call between Mr. Trump and European leaders, who said they had hammered out five principles for the negotiations. They included the idea of pursuing a cease-fire first, according to the Ukrainian president.
Given that the meeting will not include a representative from Ukraine, chances of a breakthrough are considered slim. Mr. Trump has said that he would call Mr. Zelensky directly after his talks with Mr. Putin, and that he considered the Alaska summit a prelude to a Putin-Zelensky meeting.
Where is the summit happening?
Mr. Trump will meet Mr. Putin at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage on Friday, according to the Kremlin and a White House official familiar with the planning.
