Trump and Putin to Meet in Alaska as Ukraine War Looms Over Summit

U.S. President Donald Trump announced Friday that he will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin next week in Alaska, a high-stakes summit that could shape the future of the war in Ukraine. Trump hinted that any potential peace deal might involve a controversial territorial exchange.

“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 said on his Truth Social platform.

Earlier at the White House, Trump suggested, without elaborating, that “there’ll be some swapping of territories to the betterment of both” Ukraine and Russia.

The Kremlin confirmed the summit, calling the Alaska location “quite logical.”

“The presidents themselves will undoubtedly focus on discussing options for achieving a long-term peaceful settlement of the Ukrainian crisis,” said Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov in a statement posted on Telegram.

The planned meeting follows three failed rounds of Ukraine-Russia negotiations and comes amid continued Russian bombardments that have killed tens of thousands and displaced millions since the invasion began in February 2022. Eastern and southern Ukraine remain under heavy assault, with Russian troops advancing on several fronts.

Putin has resisted repeated calls for a ceasefire from the U.S., Europe, and Kyiv. He has also ruled out direct talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at this stage—something Zelensky insists is essential for any meaningful progress.

“Ukraine should be a participant in the negotiations,” Zelensky said in his nightly address Thursday.

Last month in Istanbul, Russian negotiators demanded that Kyiv cede certain territories and abandon its pursuit of Western military support—a nonstarter for Ukrainian officials.

The Alaska summit will be the first meeting between sitting U.S. and Russian presidents since Joe Biden met with Putin in Geneva in 2021. Trump and Putin last met in person in 2019 during the G20 summit in Japan and have held several phone calls since Trump returned to office.

Putin, ahead of the summit, held talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. According to the Kremlin, Xi expressed support for a “long-term” resolution and welcomed renewed U.S.-Russia dialogue.

“China is glad to see Russia and the United States maintain contact, improve their relations, and promote a political settlement of the Ukraine crisis,” Xi reportedly told Putin, according to China’s Xinhua news agency.

Moscow and Beijing have strengthened political, military, and economic ties since the war began. India has also maintained strong relations with Russia, even as it faces U.S. tariffs over oil purchases from Moscow.

Putin, who has ruled Russia for over 25 years, recently said he is open to meeting Zelensky—but only during a “final phase” of peace negotiations.

Meanwhile, conditions on the ground in Ukraine remain dire. On Friday, Donetsk regional governor Vadym Filashkin announced the evacuation of families with children from 19 villages in the region’s east, all located within 30 kilometers (20 miles) of the front line.

The Kremlin said Friday that Putin had briefed Xi on his meeting with U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff earlier this week in Moscow. Ushakov added that Trump had already been invited to visit Russia following the Alaska summit.

“Looking ahead, it is natural to hope that the next meeting between the presidents will be held on Russian territory. A corresponding invitation has already been sent to the US president,” Ushakov said.