What to know about the Vladimir Putin-Donald Trump summit in Alaska
Whether it can lead to a deal to produce peace in Ukraine more than 3 1/2 years after Moscow's invasion remains to be seen.
Here's what to know about the meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump, the first summit in four years:
The summit takes place Friday at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson outside Anchorage starting about 11:30 a.m. (1930 GMT, 3:30 p.m. EDT), between Putin and Trump as well as a meeting of the delegations, said Yuri Ushakov, Putin's foreign policy adviser.
It's Putin's first trip to the U.S. since 2015 for the U.N. General Assembly in New York. Because the U.S. isn't a member of the International Criminal Court, which in 2023 issued a warrant for Putin on war crimes accusations, it's under no obligation to arrest him.
Both countries confirmed a meeting between only Putin and Trump, despite initial suggestions that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy might take part. The Kremlin has long pushed back against Putin meeting Zelenskyy -– at least until a peace deal is reached by both sides and is ready to be signed.
Putin said last week he wasn't against meeting Zelenskyy 'but certain conditions need to be created' and were 'still a long way off.' That raised fears about excluding Ukraine from negotiations. Kyiv and its European allies stressed that peace cannot be achieved without Kyiv's involvement.
Zelenskyy was in Berlin for virtual meetings Wednesday with Trump and European leaders to try to ensure Ukraine and its allies are heard before the summit.
The Ukrainian president told the group Putin 'is bluffing' about his military might and the effectiveness of sanctions, and 'is trying to apply pressure … on all sectors of the Ukrainian front' to try to show that Russia is 'capable of occupying all of Ukraine.' In reality, sanctions are 'hitting Russia's war economy hard,' Zelenskyy said.
Zelenskyy also met with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in London on Thursday.
It will be the first visit by a Russian leader to Alaska, even though it was part of the czarist empire until 1867, the state news agency Tass said.
Alaska was colonized by Russia starting from the 18th century until Czar Alexander II sold it to the United States in 1867 for $7.2 million. When it was found to contain vast resources, it was seen by Russians as a naïve deal that generated remorse.
After the USSR's collapse, Alaska was a subject of nostalgia and jokes for Russians. One popular song in the 1990s went: 'Don't play the fool, America … give back our dear Alaska land.'
Sam Greene of King's College London said on X the symbolism of Alaska as the site of a summit about Ukraine was 'horrendous — as though designed to demonstrate that borders can change, land can be bought and sold.'
Trump has appeared increasingly exasperated with Putin over Russia's refusal to halt the bombardment of Ukraine. Kyiv has agreed to a ceasefire, insisting on a truce as a first step toward peace.
Moscow presented ceasefire conditions that are nonstarters for Zelenskyy, such as withdrawing troops from the four regions Russia illegally annexed in 2022, halting mobilization efforts, or freezing Western arms deliveries. For a broader peace, Putin demands Kyiv cede the annexed regions, even though Russia doesn't fully control them, and Crimea, renounce a bid to join NATO, limit the size of its armed forces and recognize Russian as an official language along with Ukrainian.
Zelenskyy insists any peace deals include robust security guarantees to protect Ukraine from future Russian aggression.
Putin has warned Ukraine it will face tougher conditions for peace as Russian troops forge into other regions to build what he described as a 'buffer zone.' Some observers suggested Russia could trade those recent gains for territory under Ukrainian control in the four annexed regions annexed by Moscow.
Zelenskyy said Saturday that 'Ukrainians will not give their land to the occupier.'
But Trump said Monday: 'There'll be some land swapping going on. I know that through Russia and through conversations with everybody. To the good, for the good of Ukraine. Good stuff, not bad stuff. Also, some bad stuff for both.'
Zelenskyy said Tuesday that Putin wants Ukraine to withdraw from the remaining 30% of the Donetsk region it still controls as part of a ceasefire deal, a proposal the Ukrainian categorically rejected. Kyiv won't give up territory it controls, he added, saying that would be unconstitutional and would serve only as a springboard for a future Russian invasion.
He said discussions led by the U.S. on ending the war have not addressed key Ukrainian demands, including security guarantees to prevent future Russian aggression and including Europe in negotiations.
French President Emmanuel Macron said Wednesday that Trump was 'very clear' in a virtual meeting with European leaders and Zelenskyy that the U.S. wants to achieve a ceasefire. Macron added that Trump had been clear that 'territorial issues relating to Ukraine … will only be negotiated by the Ukrainian president.'
Trump said Wednesday there will be unspecified 'very severe consequences' if Putin does not agree to stop the war after the summit.
Putin sees a meeting with Trump as a chance to cement Russia's territorial gains, keep Ukraine out of NATO and prevent it from hosting any Western troops so Moscow can gradually pull the country back into its orbit.
He believes time is on his side as Ukrainian forces are struggling to stem Russian advances along the front amid swarms of Moscow's missiles and drones.
The meeting is a diplomatic coup for Putin, isolated since the invasion. The Kremlin sought to portray renewed U.S. contacts as two superpowers looking to resolve various global problems, with Ukraine being just one.
Ukraine and its European allies are concerned a summit without Kyiv could allow Putin to get Trump on his side and force Ukraine into concessions.
'Any decisions that are without Ukraine are at the same time decisions against peace,' Zelenskyy said. 'They will not bring anything. These are dead decisions. They will never work.'
European officials echoed that.
'As we work towards a sustainable and just peace, international law is clear: All temporarily occupied territories belong to Ukraine,' European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said. 'A sustainable peace also means that aggression cannot be rewarded.'
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said Sunday he believed Trump was 'making sure that Putin is serious, and if he is not, then it will stop there.'
'If he is serious, then from Friday onwards, the process will continue. Ukraine getting involved, the Europeans being involved,' Rutte added.
Since last week, Putin spoke to Chinese leader Xi Jinping, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, as well as the leaders of South Africa, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Belarus and Kyrgyzstan, the Kremlin said.
That suggested Putin perhaps wanted to brief Russia's most important allies about a potential settlement, said pro-Kremlin analyst Sergei Markov. Putin also met with top government officials on the eve of the summit.
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Los Angeles Times
18 minutes ago
- Los Angeles Times
Putin praises Trump's efforts to end Ukraine war ahead of Friday summit in Alaska
LONDON — Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday praised President Trump's efforts to end the war in Ukraine, more than three years after Moscow launched its invasion, as the two leaders prepared for a pivotal U.S.–Russia summit Friday in Alaska. Following a meeting Thursday with top government officials on the summit, Putin said in a short video released by the Kremlin that the Trump administration was making 'quite energetic and sincere efforts to stop the hostilities' and to 'reach agreements that are of interest to all parties involved.' Putin also suggested that 'long-term conditions of peace between our countries, and in Europe, and in the world as a whole,' could be reached under an agreement with the U.S. on nuclear arms control. In Washington, Trump said there was a 25% chance that the summit would fail, but he also floated the idea that, if the meeting succeeds, he could bring Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to Alaska for a subsequent, three-way meeting. In a radio interview with Fox News, Trump also said he might be willing to stay in Alaska longer, depending on what happens with Putin. Meanwhile, Zelensky and other European leaders worked to ensure their interests are taken into account when Trump and Putin meet in Anchorage. U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer welcomed Zelensky to London on Thursday in a show of British support for Ukraine a day before the critical Trump-Putin meeting. The two embraced warmly outside Starmer's offices at 10 Downing Street without making any comments, and Zelensky departed about an hour later. Zelensky's trip to the British capital came a day after he took part in virtual meetings from Berlin with Trump and the leaders of several European countries. Those leaders said that Trump had assured them that he would make a priority of trying to achieve a ceasefire in Ukraine when he meets with Putin. Speaking after the meetings to reporters, Trump warned of 'very severe consequences' for Russia if Putin doesn't agree to stop the war against Ukraine after Friday's meeting. While some European leaders, including German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron, praised Wednesday's video conference with Trump as constructive, uncertainty remained over how the U.S. leader — whose rhetoric toward both Zelensky and Putin has evolved dramatically since retaking office this year — would conduct negotiations in the absence of any other interested parties. Both Zelensky and the Europeans have worried that the bilateral U.S.-Russia summit would leave them and their interests sidelined, and that any conclusions could favor Moscow and leave Ukraine and Europe's future security in jeopardy. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov tamped down expectations for any breakthroughs from the Friday summit, saying there were no plans to sign documents and that it would be a 'big mistake' to predict the results of the negotiations, according to Russian news outlet Interfax. The Kremlin on Thursday said the meeting between Trump and Putin would begin at 11:30 a.m. local time. Putin's foreign policy adviser, Yuri Ushakov, told reporters that Trump and Putin will first sit down for a one-on-one meeting followed by a meeting between the two delegations. Then talks will continue over 'a working breakfast.' A joint news conference will follow. Trump contradicted the Kremlin, saying that no decisions have been made about holding a news conference with Putin. The uncertainty reflects just how much about the summit, including its schedule, remains unsettled. Starmer said Wednesday that the Alaska summit could be a path to a ceasefire in Ukraine, but he also alluded to European concerns that Trump may strike a deal that forces Ukraine to cede territory to Russia. He warned that Western allies must be prepared to step up pressure on Russia if necessary. During a call Wednesday among leaders of countries involved in the 'coalition of the willing' — those who are prepared to help police any future peace agreement between Moscow and Kyiv — Starmer stressed that any ceasefire deal must protect the 'territorial integrity' of Ukraine. 'International borders cannot be, and must not be changed by force,'' he said. Kyiv has long insisted that safeguards against future Russian attacks provided by its Western allies would be a precondition for achieving a durable end to the fighting. Yet many Western governments have been hesitant to commit military personnel. Countries in the coalition, which includes France and the U.K., have been trying for months to secure U.S. security backing, should it be required. Following Wednesday's virtual meetings, Macron said Trump told the assembled leaders that while NATO must not be part of future security guarantees, 'the United States and all the parties involved should take part.' 'It's a very important clarification that we have received,' Macron said. Trump did not reference any U.S. security commitments during his comments to reporters on Wednesday. With another high-level meeting on their country's future on the horizon, some Ukrainians expressed skepticism about the summit's prospects. Oleksandra Kozlova, 39, who works at a digital agency in Kyiv, told The Associated Press on Wednesday that she believes Ukrainians 'have already lost hope' that meaningful progress can be made toward ending the war. 'I don't think this round will be decisive,' she said. 'There have already been enough meetings and negotiations promising us, ordinary people, that something will be resolved, that things will get better, that the war will end. Unfortunately, this has not happened, so personally I don't see any changes coming.' Anton Vyshniak, a car salesman in Kyiv, said Ukraine's priority now should be saving the lives of its military service members, even at the expense of territorial concessions. 'At the moment, the most important thing is to preserve the lives of male and female military personnel. After all, there are not many human resources left,' he said. 'Borders are borders, but human lives are priceless.' Zelensky said Thursday that Ukraine had secured the release of 84 people from Russian captivity, including both soldiers and civilians. Those freed included people held by Russia since 2014, 2016 and 2017, as well as soldiers who had defended the now Russian-occupied Ukrainian city of Mariupol, Zelensky wrote on Telegram. The Russian Defense Ministry said Thursday that it too had received 84 soldiers as part of a prisoner exchange. In other developments, Russian strikes in Ukraine's Sumy region overnight Wednesday resulted in numerous injuries, Ukrainian regional officials said. A missile strike on a village in the Seredyna-Budska community wounded a 7-year-old girl and a 27-year-old man, according to regional governor Oleh Hryhorov. The girl was hospitalized in stable condition. In Russia, a Ukrainian drone attack damaged several apartment buildings in the southern city of Rostov-on-Don, near the border with Ukraine, where 13 civilians were wounded, according to acting governor of the region, Yuri Slyusar. Two of the wounded were hospitalized in serious condition, Slyusar said. Pylas and Spike write for the Associated Press. Spike reported from Budapest, Hungary. AP writers Lorne Cook in Brussels; Hanna Arhirova in Kyiv, Ukraine; Katie Marie Davies in Manchester, England; Dasha Litvinova in Tallinn, Estonia, and Will Weissert in Washington contributed to this report.
NBC News
42 minutes ago
- NBC News
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What to know today ICE COOPERATION: In a significant shift, D.C. police will begin sharing information on undocumented immigrants they encounter during traffic stops with Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. The move will allow immigrants who have not been charged with a crime to be reported to ICE for possible arrest and deportation. 'DEPORTATION DEPOT': Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said he is opening a second detention center to house and process undocumented immigrants, dubbing it 'Deportation Depot.' It follows the recent opening of a detention center in the Everglades that he and others are calling 'Alligator Alcatraz.' TRUMP-PUTIN SUMMIT: Russian President Vladimir Putin said ahead of tomorrow's summit with President Donald Trump that the U.S. efforts to reach an agreement to end the war in Ukraine have been "quite energetic and sincere." Trump later said he thinks Putin wants to make a deal. JOINT PRESS CONFERENCE? Trump and Putin will begin their summit tomorrow with talks between just the two leaders and their translators, followed by discussions involving their delegations, a Putin aide said. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed the said that the two leaders would plan to hold a joint press conference following their talks, but Trump did not commit to that an interview this morning.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Left out of Alaska talks, exhausted Ukrainians fear an unjust peace
They call it "dronocide": new training to deal with what is now the greatest threat to a Ukrainian soldier's life on the battlefield – drones. These machines saturate the front line and cause the largest number of casualties, according to Ukraine. If Donald Trump can't make Vladimir Putin agree to a ceasefire at their meeting in Alaska on Friday, then this training in eastern Ukraine might be essential to saving lives on the front. The continuing preparation for battle suggests few in Ukraine are expecting this war to stop any time soon. The training is not especially sophisticated: their defence is a shotgun. The soldiers go through drills to hit fast-moving targets – shooting first from the ground, and then while on the move. Ihor, their experienced instructor, tells the men a shotgun is currently their most effective means to bring down a drone at close range. Ihor has been fighting on Ukraine's eastern front since 2014, the year Russia illegally annexed Crimea and sent troops into the Donbas region. His call sign is "The Knifer". He also trains troops in hand-to-hand combat. Ihor's been trying to help stop the Russian advance for the past ten years. He bristles at any suggestion that Ukraine will have to give up territory as part of any "land swap". "Neither me nor my comrades are ready for this," he tells me. He says they'd rather continue fighting until "we liberate our territories". That doesn't seem likely, with some Ukrainian front line units now well below strength. One soldier told us renewed efforts to mobilise more troops had been a "disaster". They know they're still outgunned and outnumbered. Ukrainian troops also admit they're tired and losing ground. It's an undeniable fact. But this training shows they're not giving up. Oleksii, one of the soldiers honing his skill with a shotgun, says he's already lost his father and friends in the war. He admits "the war must be stopped one way or another". But as for the suggestion that Ukraine hands over more territory to Russia, he says: "It wouldn't be my suggestion, I don't like this idea." Ukrainian troops point out that Russia is also taking heavy losses, suffering around 1,000 casualties – dead or injured – every day. Russia's resources are slowly being exhausted too. The views from the front are reflected in Ukraine's towns and cities. Civilians are also suffering the consequences of this war more directly, not least with the recent ramping up of Russian missile and drone attacks across the country. Last month Russia launched more than 6,000 drones at Ukraine. In July 2024 that figure was much lower - just over 400. In the streets of the capital Kyiv there's no doubt they want to see an end to the war. "If we don't stop, we will lose even more territory and people," Oleksandr says. He uses the analogy of gambling in a casino: "The more you play, the more you lose." Volodymyr, another passer-by, is downbeat about the prospect of the talks between Presidents Trump and Putin. He believes Ukraine will probably have to give up more territory in return for a ceasefire. "We don't have the resources," he says. "All our boys are in heaven or in hospital." President Zelensky has already expressed his frustration that Ukraine's voice will not be heard in Alaska. He's also made clear he won't be surrendering Ukrainian territory. "It's not my private property," he said earlier this week. But some recent polls suggest that more Ukrainians are resigned to the fact that they might have to sacrifice land for peace. The bottom line though is that few believe Russia really wants peace. Oleksandr Merezhko, an MP and Chairman of Ukraine's Foreign Affairs Committee, thinks the Alaska meeting is just a PR stunt for President Putin. "Putin doesn't have any desire to reach a compromise," Merezhko says. "He thinks he's winning the war. He is not going to back down." Merezhko also dismisses President Trump's suggestion that Ukraine will have to "sign something". "Absolutely not," he says. "I don't believe any agreement which leads to our destruction can be imposed on Ukraine." He says it's both morally and legally wrong to sacrifice people's homes for peace. But many Ukrainians have already lost their homes and lives. According to the UN, more than 13,000 civilians have been killed in the country, while 3.5 million Ukrainians have been forced to leave their homes. More than 500 of those displaced people are now living in a temporary village, just outside the capital. Their new homes are metal containers, rather than bricks and mortar. Many are the elderly who fled the fighting in the East. There's a small play area for children who'll probably never see the towns and villages they were born in. Their old homes are now in occupied territory. The face of 78-year-old Hennadii wells up with tears when he tells me doesn't think he'll ever see the grave of his mother again. He tells me he still misses what he had to leave behind. "I liked fishing there, I had a small plot of land, my grapes and my walnut tree," he says. "And now it doesn't exist." No one we talk to here expresses much confidence about the talks between Presidents Trump and Putin. "I really hope there will be something good after those talks but I don't have much hope," says Valeria, an 18-year-old student whose family lost their home. But 78-year-old Valentina is more defiant. Her husband was killed by a Russian missile. "This is our land and our people are dying for it," she says. "How can we give it up? No way." In Alaska Presidents Trump and Putin will be talking about Ukraine's future - without Ukrainian representation, and over their heads. Ukraine may gradually be losing this war, but it's not yet been defeated. That makes it harder for anyone else to force through a peace it cannot accept. Additional reporting by Firle Davies, Anastasiia Levchenko and Mariana Matveichuk Solve the daily Crossword
