U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to meet Friday in Alaska in hopes for a cease-fire involving Ukraine and end to the war.
Aug. 9 U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to meet Friday in Alaska in hopes for a cease-fire in the war in Ukraine that was waged since February 2022.
It will be the presidents‘ first in-person meeting since the G20 summit in Japan in 2019 during Trump’s first term.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has not been invited, a source told The .
Putin on Thursday said he opposed meeting with Zelensky, saying „for this to happen, certain conditions must be created. Unfortunately, we are still far from creating such conditions.“
Trump announced the meeting on Friday night on Truth Social.
„The highly anticipated meeting between myself, as President of the United States of America, and President Vladimir Putin, of Russia, will take place next Friday, August 15, 2025, in the Great State of Alaska“, Trump posted.
The presidents also considered meeting in the United Arab Emirates and Rome.
Because the United States does not recognize the International Criminal Court, it is does not have to abide by a warrant issued in 2023 for Putin’s arrest on allegations he was involved in the abduction of children from Ukraine during the war. Had the meeting been held in Rome, there were concerns officials would attempt to arrest Putin.
On chances for a deal, Trump told reporters this week that he thinks „we have a shot at“ achieving a deal and refused to call the meeting a last chance.
„I don’t like using the term ‚last chance“, he said.
Trump has floated the idea that a peace deal with Ukraine may require the European nation to give up territory — something Zelensky and many European leaders oppose.
„You’re looking at territory that’s been fought over for 3½ years with — you know, a lot of Russians have died, a lot of Ukrainians have died“, Trump said.
