US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet in Alaska on 15 August for high-stakes discussions aimed at ending the war in Ukraine. The meeting, announced by Trump on social media and confirmed by the Kremlin, will take place in what Russian officials described as a “logical” location given Alaska’s proximity to Russia.
The talks come amid growing speculation over a potential territorial compromise to resolve the conflict, which began with Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Speaking at the White House on Friday, Trump suggested that a peace deal could involve “some swapping of territories” to benefit both sides, though he offered no specifics.
Reports from CBS News indicate that the White House is exploring a proposal under which Russia would retain the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine and Crimea, while relinquishing its partial control of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia. The Wall Street Journal separately reported that Putin had floated a similar arrangement to Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, during recent talks in Moscow.
However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly rejected any settlement that includes ceding territory, and it remains unclear whether Kyiv or its European allies would back such a plan. Previous negotiations between Ukraine and Russia including three rounds of direct talks in Istanbul have failed to produce meaningful progress.
Russia currently occupies about 20% of Ukrainian territory, but has not achieved a decisive military breakthrough. Its demands for peace include Ukraine abandoning NATO aspirations, reducing its military capabilities, and lifting Western sanctions.
Despite the deep divisions, Trump expressed optimism, saying, “We have a shot at a trilateral peace agreement between the countries.” He suggested that Zelensky could still be involved in the Alaska talks.
Trump has recently hardened his position toward Moscow, warning of tougher sanctions if a ceasefire was not agreed by 8 August. However, as the deadline approached, the focus shifted to his upcoming face-to-face meeting with Putin.
The Alaska summit will mark the first in-person meeting between a US president and Putin since Joe Biden met him in Geneva in 2021, and could prove pivotal in shaping the future of one of Europe’s deadliest conflicts in decades.
