U.S. President Donald Trump is set to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, on Friday morning amid mounting pressure to end Russia’s war in Ukraine.

The White House has described the summit, which was hastily arranged in under a week, as a “listening exercise,” while Trump has warned of “severe consequences” if Putin refuses to halt the conflict.

What to Know:

  • The White House said the bilateral summit will begin at 11:00 a.m. local time. Russia said it will start with a one-on-one meeting between Trump and Putin, followed by delegation talks and a press conference.
  • Russia’s delegation includes Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Defense Minister Andrey Belousov, and sovereign wealth fund chief Kirill Dmitriev.
  • Ukraine will not be represented at the summit, though Trump held a virtual call with President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders earlier this week.
  • Trump has threatened new sanctions and tariffs if Russia does not commit to a ceasefire; he has also criticized Putin’s attacks on civilians.
  • Putin may seek territorial concessions and limits on Ukraine’s NATO ambitions, echoing past demands made during failed peace talks.
  • The summit is seen as a diplomatic win for Moscow which has long sought direct talks with Washington to legitimize its position in the war.
  • Lavrov said Russia’s “position is clear” going into the summit

Follow Newsweek for live coverage.


06:42 AM EDT

UK willing to put “boots on the ground” in Ukraine

British defense secretary John Healey said his country is ready to “ready to put U.K. boots on the ground in Ukraine” and maintain a ceasefire should Russia agree to one.

Healey told the BBC that military planners from the “coalition of the willing,” who are allies of Ukraine, had drawn up detailed plans for ensuring a ceasefire, including multi-national forces on the ground.

“The military plans are complete,” Healey said.

Those forces would reassure Ukrainians, he said, but also “secure the safe skies, safe seas and to build the strength of the Ukrainian forces, because in the end the best deterrence against Russia… re-launching their aggression against Ukraine is the strength of Ukraine to stand for itself.”


06:31 AM EDT

What are some of the stakes at the Trump-Putin meeting?

Ukraine

The end of a brutal and destructive conflict that has killed hundreds of thousands of its people and left swathes of civilian infrastructure in ruins. It also faces the permanent loss of eastern Ukrainian territory now controlled by Russian forces.

Kyiv seeks meaningful security guarantees in the eventual settlement that are a sufficient deterrence to Moscow’s aggression in the future so it can rebuild and move on.

It also wants to deepen ties with the European Union and NATO, two things Russia has sought to disrupt and prevent.

Russia

The Russians seek to consolidate and formalize their control of territory seized from Ukraine during its full-scale invasion, and dating back to 2014, when it annexed Crimea. If talks fail, it will push to take more.

Russia wants a neutral and demilitarized Ukraine outside of NATO. Moscow also wants an end to punishing Western economic sanctions, and better relations with the U.S.

U.S.

Peace would finally make good on President Donald Trump’s promise to end Russia’s war, cementing his status as a global peacemaker. It would also free up his administration to focus on other pressing international priorities.

A negative outcome would mean tougher sanctions against Russia, including secondary tariffs on its major trading partners, such as China, which would cause widespread economic pain and set off a spiral of retaliation.

It would also keep the administration bogged down in the conflict through diplomacy, military aid, and supporting European NATO allies.

Europe

This is the continent’s largest conflict since the Second World War and has been a significant drain on resources.

Europe wants Trump to be tough on Russia and not reward its aggression, which they fear could incentivize Moscow to take similar action elsewhere, such as in the Baltics.

Continuation of the war would mean more of Europe’s time, money, and military aid is needed to support Ukraine, and threatens to lead to a direct NATO-Russia confrontation on the continent, with potentially catastrophic consequences.


05:15 AM EDT

IMAGES: Pro-Ukraine protestors descend on Anchorage, Alaska

Pro-Ukrainian protestors took to the streets of Anchorage on Thursday, August 14, on the eve of the Trump-Putin summit.


Ukraine protests



Demonstrators wave Ukrainian flags as they rally in support of Ukraine along Seward Highway in Anchorage, Alaska, on August 14, 2025. A woman holds up her fingers in a peace gesture.
Demonstrators wave Ukrainian flags as they rally in support of Ukraine along Seward Highway in Anchorage, Alaska, on August 14, 2025. A woman holds up her fingers in a peace gesture.
DREW ANGERER/AFP via Getty Images



Ukraine protestors Alaska



Demonstrators wave flags and hold a banner as they rally in support of Ukraine along Seward Highway in Anchorage, Alaska, on August 14, 2025.
Demonstrators wave flags and hold a banner as they rally in support of Ukraine along Seward Highway in Anchorage, Alaska, on August 14, 2025.
DREW ANGERER/AFP via Getty Images



Alaska protests Anchorage Ukraine



Demonstrators wave flags and hold signs as they rally in support of Ukraine along Seward Highway in Anchorage, Alaska, on August 14, 2025. This placard depicts Presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin carving up the…
Demonstrators wave flags and hold signs as they rally in support of Ukraine along Seward Highway in Anchorage, Alaska, on August 14, 2025. This placard depicts Presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin carving up the world to eat.
More
DREW ANGERER/AFP via Getty Images


Read Khaleda Rahman’s story for Newsweek.


05:09 AM EDT

What are the chances of a Russia-Ukraine ceasefire in 2025?

Polymarket, a major prediction market that allows people to trade on predicted outcomes, currently sees just a 35 percent chance of a Russia-Ukraine ceasefire in 2025.

While that’s up from the recent low of 19 percent at the end of July, after a spike when Trump announced his Putin meeting, it is way down from the 78 percent peak in March when both sides agreed to partial pauses in the fighting.

Once those temporary pauses ended, the fighting intensified, as Russia pushed hard with increased aerial attacks and frontline offensives, prompting an angry response from Trump, who has sought for months to broker a full peace deal.


04:32 AM EDT

What Trump has said ahead of Putin meeting in Alaska

To refresh your memory, here is a rundown of some of the things President Trump has said in the past few days ahead of his meeting with President Putin.

“Well, you’re looking at territory that’s been fought over for 3 1/2 years … you know, a lot of Russians have died. A lot of Ukrainians have died.

“So we’re looking at that, but we’re actually looking to get some back. Some swapping. It’s complicated … but we’re going to get some back, we’re going to get some switched.

“There’ll be some swapping of territories to the betterment of both.”

“We’re going to see what happens with our meeting. We have a big meeting. It’s going to be very important for Russia and very important for us. And important to us since we’re trying to save a lot of lives.

“As far as rare earth, that’s very unimportant. I’m trying to save lives.”

“There will be very severe consequences.”

“25 percent chance.”

“I’m convinced that he [Putin] is going to make a deal. He’s going to make a deal. I think he’s going to, and we’re going to find out. I’m going to know very quickly.”


04:17 AM EDT

Ukraine says special ops struck Russian oil refinery

The Ukrainian military said its Special Operations Forces led a strike overnight on August 15 against Russia’s Syzran Oil Refinery, which they said supplies a range of fuel—including aviation kerosene—to the Russian armed forces.

“The target was hit, and a fire and explosions were recorded,” said a Telegram post by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, adding it was still clarifying the results of the strike.

“The Defense Forces continue to take measures to undermine the military and economic potential of the Russian occupiers and force Russia to end its armed aggression against Ukraine.”


03:58 AM EDT

WATCH: Lavrov arrives in Alaska and talks to the media

A video shared by the Russian Foreign Ministry shows Sergei Lavrov arriving in Anchorage, Alaska, and giving some comments to the media.

And Lavrov appears to be wearing a top with “CCCP”—the Soviet Union—on the front, which did not go unnoticed on social media.


03:53 AM EDT

White House gives earlier time for Trump-Putin meeting

A White House schedule for President Donald Trump says the bilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin will begin at 11 a.m. local time in Anchorage, Alaska.

The Russian side had earlier said the meeting would begin at 11:30 a.m.

Trump’s schedule lists him departing for the White House at 5:45 p.m.


03:33 AM EDT

Russia, Ukraine continue to exchange drone attacks ahead of Trump-Putin meeting

Aerial attacks between Russia and Ukraine continued ahead of the Trump-Putin meeting, according to both militaries.

The Russian Ministry of Defense said it had intercepted and destroyed 53 Ukrainian drones over border regions overnight into August 15. It did not say how many others had broken through the air defenses.

Kursk’s Acting Governor Alexander Khinshtein said 12 people were hospitalized in a Ukrainian drone attack on the region that had struck houses, Russian state news agency TASS reported..

Ukraine’s Air Force reported that it had shot down 63 Russian drones, accusing Moscow’s forces of firing two Iskander-M ballistic missiles and 97 attack and simulation drones overall in the assault.

Kyiv’s State Emergency Service shared images from a drone attack that it said hit a gas station, injuring one person.


Ukraine gas station Russia drone attack



A Ukrainian emergency service worker responds to a drone attack on a gas station in Sumy, Ukraine, on August 15, 2025.
A Ukrainian emergency service worker responds to a drone attack on a gas station in Sumy, Ukraine, on August 15, 2025.
State Emergency Service of Ukraine



03:20 AM EDT

Russian host: We can destroy Trump’s US with nuclear weapons

Vladimir Solovyov, one of Russian state TV’s best-known presenters, warned that his country “can actually destroy America” with nuclear weapons in response to Trump’s threat of severe consequences if Putin does not end his war in Ukraine.

“No one has the right to impose their will upon the president of the Russian Federation, who is elected by the Russian people,” Solovyov said on his show “Full Contact” on Thursday, according to a translation from Russian Media Monitor.

“He represents the interests and aspirations of the Russian people.

“When Trump suddenly starts to act as though he can give us directives and is threatening us, we can actually destroy America… America can destroy us as well, but we can do it faster and more effectively.”

Read more by Newsweek’s Jordan King.


03:04 AM EDT

Trump poll shows trust issue on Ukraine

Over half of U.S. adults are not confident that President Donald Trump can make “wise decisions” when it comes to the Russia-Ukraine war, a new survey from Pew Research Center showed on the eve of the Alaska meeting.

The Pew survey found 59 percent of U.S. adults were either “not too confident” or “not at all confident” that Trump could make wise decisions about the Russia-Ukraine war; 40 percent expressed at least some confidence.

Read in full from Anna Commander at Newsweek.


02:46 AM EDT

Russian delegation begins arriving in Alaska

Russian media said members of President Putin’s delegation have already begun arriving in Alaska for the crunch Ukraine summit.

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Special Envoy and head of the sovereign wealth fund Kirill Dmitriev, and Finance Minister Anton Siluanov were those who had landed in Alaska, Russia’s 360 reported.

“We never make any predictions in advance,” Lavrov told the media about his expectations from the Trump-Putin meeting, originally in Russian. “We know that we have an argument, we have a clear and well-defined position. We will present it.”

Lavrov said a lot of the work has already been done during U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff’s visits to Moscow. “I hope that tomorrow we will continue this very useful conversation,” the top Russian diplomat said.


07:55 PM EDT

Trump puts number on chance Putin meeting will fail

During a Thursday interview on Fox News Radio’s The Brian Kilmeade Show, President Donald Trump was asked if there was any scenario in which Friday’s meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska could be considered a failure, to which the president replied, “Yeah, 25 percent.”

On Thursday, Trump told Kilmeade, “I’m convinced that he [Putin] is going to make a deal. He’s going to make a deal. I think he’s going to, and we’re going to find out. I’m going to know very quickly.”

The president explained that this meeting was meant to pave the way for a second one, potentially with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, telling Kilmeade, “So, we’re going to be calling President Zelensky, if it’s a good meeting—if it’s a bad meeting I’m not calling anybody, I’m going home.” He also added that he would call European leaders as well.

Trump said he would hold a press conference either way, regardless of whether the meeting went well or poorly.

Read in full from Mandy Taheri on Newsweek.


07:45 PM EDT

Trump’s threat to Putin ahead of summit

President Donald Trump warned Wednesday that there will be “very severe consequences” if Russian President Vladimir Putin refuses to agree to end the war in Ukraine following Friday’s U.S.-Russia summit in Alaska.

French President Emmanuel Macron said Trump was “very clear” during a virtual meeting with European leaders that the United States aims to secure a ceasefire at the summit.

In the same meeting, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told participants he believes Putin “is bluffing” ahead of his talks with Trump. Zelensky accused Putin of “trying to apply pressure on all sectors of the Ukrainian front” to project that Russia is “capable of occupying all of Ukraine.”

Zelensky also dismissed Putin’s public posture on sanctions, saying the Russian leader acts “as if they do not matter to him and are ineffective,” but in reality, sanctions are “very helpful and are hitting Russia’s war economy hard.”


07:39 PM EDT

Trump wants Zelensky to join him and Putin for second meeting

President Donald Trump said that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky could join him and Vladimir Putin for a second Alaska meeting.

Trump is set to sit down with Russian leader Putin alone for their Alaska summit on Friday.

But Trump told conservative talk show host Brian Kilmeade, on Fox News Radio, that he hopes that the one-to-one will lead to a second meeting with Putin and Zelensky where they can work out a peace deal.

Alaska “would be by far the easiest” place for the leaders to hold the talks, he added.


07:32 PM EDT

WATCH: Trump declines to rule out offering Putin rare minerals in peace talks


07:24 PM EDT

Zelensky rejects land swaps as Trump-Putin summit nears

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in UK



Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrives at number 10 Downing Street for a meeting with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. Picture date: Thursday August 14, 2025. 81250677 (Press Association via AP Images)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrives at number 10 Downing Street for a meeting with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. Picture date: Thursday August 14, 2025. 81250677 (Press Association via AP Images)
AP


Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has firmly rejected any peace deal that excludes Ukraine or involves territorial concessions to Russia, calling such proposals stillborn. His comments come ahead of the Trump-Putin summit happening today where Ukraine and European leaders will not be represented.

During a recent call with Trump and the EU officials, five principles were agreed upon for future negotiations. These include keeping Ukraine involved in follow-up talks, securing postwar security guarantees, and refusing to discuss land swaps before a ceasefire is reached. The group also committed to increasing economic pressure on Russia if talks fail.


07:18 PM EDT

Why Alaska for the summit?

Alaska appears to have been chosen for the Trump–Putin summit due to its geographic location and symbolic significance.

Sitting just across the Bering Strait from Russia, it is the closest U.S. territory to Moscow. The state’s history as a former Russian possession, sold to the United States in 1867, adds a layer of historical resonance, while its role in World War II and the Cold War underscores its longstanding strategic importance.

For Trump, it signals strength by hosting his Russian counterpart on American soil in a strategic frontier state. For Putin, it offers a more comfortable and symbolically neutral destination than Washington, D.C., while avoiding travel through potentially hostile or International Criminal Court-member nations.


07:11 PM EDT

What to know about Alaskan base where Trump, Putin will meet

Members of the media stand outside base



Members of the media stand outside Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025, ahead of a meeting between President Donald Trump and Russia’s President Vladimir Putin. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Members of the media stand outside Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025, ahead of a meeting between President Donald Trump and Russia’s President Vladimir Putin. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Jae C. Hong/AP


Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson (JBER) in Anchorage, Alaska, was formed in 2010 by merging Elmendorf Air Force Base and Fort Richardson. It has long held strategic importance as a Cold War–era defense hub against the Soviet Union, due to Alaska’s proximity to Russia across the Bering Strait. Today, it hosts major commands like Alaskan Command, NORAD’s Alaska Region, and the 11th Air Force.

Alaska’s remoteness and JBER’s high-security environment make it an ideal site for the upcoming August 15, 2025, Trump–Putin summit. The base’s constant readiness and controlled setting ensure security for such a high-stakes meeting, marking a rare instance of a U.S.–Russia summit on American military grounds.

The location also carries symbolic weight. Alaska was part of the Russian Empire until 1867, and the choice of a former Russian territory for talks with Putin resonates historically. Cold War legacies and even remnants of Soviet-era presence add deeper meaning to the meeting’s setting.


07:06 PM EDT

Putin’s broader agenda looms over Alaska summit

As President Vladimir Putin prepares to meet Trump in Alaska, analysts warn the Russian leader may be using the summit to stall progress on Ukraine while pursuing broader strategic goals. The meeting comes amid renewed pressure on Moscow to end its war with Ukraine.

Putin’s demands remain unchanged: recognition of Russian control over eastern Ukraine, a ban on NATO expansion, and limits on Ukraine’s military. However, observer say the Kremlin may also use the summit to push for economic cooperation and Arctic development, issues outside the Ukraine framework.


06:58 PM EDT

When did Russia sell Alaska to the US?

Russia sold Alaska to the United States on March 30, 1867, under the Treaty of Cession.

The deal, negotiated by U.S. Secretary of State William H. Seward and Russian envoy Eduard de Stoeckl, transferred the territory for $7.2 million, or about two cents per acre. The U.S. formally took possession on October 18, 1867, a date still celebrated in Alaska as Alaska Day.

Russia’s involvement in Alaska began in the mid-18th century with expeditions by Vitus Bering and Aleksei Chirikov, which revealed the region’s rich fur resources.

Russian traders and hunters soon established coastal outposts, and in 1799 Tsar Paul I granted the Russian-American Company a monopoly over trade and settlement. The colonial capital moved from Kodiak to Sitka, and while Russian Orthodox missionaries left a lasting cultural imprint, colonization brought conflict, disease, and disruption to Indigenous peoples. Russian presence remained small, with only a few hundred settlers at its height.

By the mid-19th century, Alaska’s fur trade declined, logistical challenges mounted, and Russia feared losing the territory to Britain. Facing financial strain after the Crimean War, Russia sold Alaska to the United States.

Today, Russian heritage endures in some Alaskan communities, and the territory’s proximity to Russia continues to give it strategic and symbolic importance in U.S.–Russia relations.


06:54 PM EDT

Donald Trump asked about offering Putin access to Alaska rare minerals

President Donald Trump was asked on Thursday about a report that the U.S. is preparing to offer Russian President Vladimir Putin economic incentives to encourage him to end the war in Ukraine—including opening up access to natural resources off Alaska’s coast.

The Daily Telegraph reported that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is exploring the possibility in efforts to facilitate a ceasefire and lasting peace agreement between Ukraine and Russia.

When asked about offering Putin access to resources in Alaska, Trump said in part: “We’re going to see what happens with our meeting. We have a big meeting. It’s going to be very important for Russia and very important for us. And important to us since we’re trying to save a lot of lives.”

He continued, “As far as rare earth, that’s very unimportant. I’m trying to save lives.”

Read in full from Sonam Sheth on Newsweek.


06:41 PM EDT

Putin praises Trump’s ‘sincere’ peace efforts ahead of summit

Vladimir Putin praised President Donald Trump’s “sincere” peace efforts ahead of their Alaska summit.

In a televised speech on Thursday, the Russian leader said that the Trump administration was “making, in my opinion, quite energetic and sincere efforts to stop the hostilities, stop the crisis and reach agreements that are of interest to all parties involved in this conflict”.

Putin added that Friday’s Alaska summit was happening “in order to create long-term conditions for peace between our countries, and in Europe, and in the world as a whole – if, by the next stages, we reach agreements in the area of control over strategic offensive weapons.”

His latter comments suggest that Moscow will raise nuclear arms control during his meeting with Trump.

Russia previously suspended its participation in the New START treaty, which aims to reduce “strategic offensive arms”, in 2023, saying it would not allow the U.S. and NATO to inspect its nuclear facilities.


06:34 PM EDT

Why the summit is happening now

After months of stalled diplomacy, Trump and Putin are meeting in Alaska, following a shift in U.S. strategy aimed at ending the war in Ukraine. The summit was requested by Moscow just days after Trump imposed steep tariffs on Indian imports and threatened sweeping sanctions unless Russia halted its military campaign.

Since taking office in January, Trump had resisted direct talks with Putin, citing Russia’s battlefield momentum and lack of interest in peace. But frustration over the war’s toll and Putin’s intransigence led to Trump accelerating pressure tactics, including a sanctions deadline and economic penalties targeting Russian oil buyers.


06:22 PM EDT

How many times President Trump met Putin in person?

During Donald Trump’s first term, he met in person with Vladimir Putin a total of six times.

These encounters took place mostly on the sidelines of major international gatherings such as the G20 and APEC summits, as well as in more formal bilateral settings.

Their first notable meeting occurred in July 2017 at the G20 Summit in Hamburg, Germany. That summit included both an official meeting and a second, previously undisclosed private conversation later that evening. In November 2017, the two leaders met again briefly during the APEC Summit in Vietnam, where election interference and U.S.–Russia relations were discussed.

The most high-profile encounter took place on July 16, 2018, during the Helsinki Summit in Finland. This meeting lasted about two hours and was conducted one-on-one with only interpreters present, followed by a working lunch and a joint press conference. The Helsinki event drew intense global attention due to the closed-door format and Trump’s public remarks alongside Putin. The remaining meetings occurred in the context of other multilateral events, where they spoke briefly or held smaller sessions, adding up to a total of six in-person interactions during Trump’s first term.

Friday will be the first in person meeting between the two world leaders during Trump’s second term.

But the pair have held multiple phone calls since Trump returned to office in January.


06:05 PM EDT

When was the last time Putin visited the US?

Vladimir Putin’s most recent visit to the United States as president took place in September 2015, when he traveled to New York City to attend the United Nations General Assembly.

During that trip, he met with President Barack Obama and delivered a speech at the UN. The meeting between the two leaders focused on pressing global issues at the time, including the conflict in Syria and U.S.–Russia relations, which were already strained following Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014.

Since that 2015 trip, Putin has not made any further visits to the U.S. While Russian foreign ministers and other officials have visited, the Russian president himself has remained absent from American soil for nearly a decade. His absence reflects the deepening diplomatic rift between Washington and Moscow, especially in light of sanctions, military tensions, and diverging geopolitical priorities.


06:00 PM EDT

Trump compares Alaska summit to ‘chess game’

President Donald Trump compared his upcoming Alaska summit with Vladimir Putin to a strategic game of chess.

“It’s like a chess game,” Trump said during an interview with conservative talk show host Brian Kilmeade on Fox News Radio.

“This meeting sets up the second meeting, but there is a 25% chance that this meeting will not be a successful meeting.”


05:50 PM EDT

Trump talks tough ahead of meeting with Putin

President Donald Trump told reporters on Thursday that Russian President Vladimir Putin is “not going to mess around with me” at their Alaskan summit on Friday.

During a press conference at the White House, Trump was asked if Putin had a “strong hand” ahead of their meeting.

“Well, he came to our country,” Trump responded. “I think if I weren’t president, he would take over all of Ukraine, it’s a war that should have never happened.

“If I weren’t president, in my opinion, he would much rather take over all of Ukraine.

“But I am president and he’s not going to mess around with me.”


05:38 PM EDT

What is the schedule for Trump-Putin in Alaska?

The summit, to be held at the Elmendorf-Richardson military base in Anchorage and centered on agreeing a settlement on Ukraine, will begin at 11:30 a.m. local time, the Kremlin said, according to state-run news agency RIA.

It will begin with a head-to-head meeting between Trump and Putin, the Kremlin said, leading into negotiations between the two delegations and a working breakfast.

Trump and Putin will then hold a press conference after the talks.

Ushakov said the meeting will also cover broader peace and security, including the “most pressing international and regional issues,” the Russian state news outlet TASS reported.

“An exchange of views is expected on the further development of bilateral cooperation, including in the trade and economic sphere. I note that this cooperation has huge—and unfortunately still untapped—potential,” Ushakov said, originally in Russian.

Read the full story by Shane Croucher on Newsweek.


05:34 PM EDT

President Trump to meet Putin in Alaska amid Ukraine peace push

President Donald Trump is set to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Anchorage, Alaska for a hastily arranged summit aimed at exploring a path to end the war in Ukraine. The meeting, set at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, marks Putin’s first visit to U.S. soil in a decade.

The summit comes amid mounting criticism from European leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who was excluded from the talks. Zelensky joined a video call with Trump and EU officials earlier this week, where five principles for negotiations—including a cease-fire—were discussed.

Trump described the Alaska meeting as a “listening exercise” and suggested it cold pave the way for a second summit involving Zelensky. However, his openness to territorial concessions has alarmed Kyiv and its allies, who fear any deal struck without Ukraine’s input could legitimize Russian aggression.


05:33 PM EDT

What time does Trump meet with Putin?

The Alaska summit will begin at 11:30 a.m. local time on Friday with a one-on-one meeting between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, followed by delegation talks and a joint press conference.

It is being held at the Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska.