Trump-Putin meeting in Alaska: A high-stakes summit for a ceasefire in Ukraine
Trump extended the invitation at the Russian leader's suggestion, but the US president has since been defensive and warned that the meeting could be over within minutes if Putin does not compromise. Trump has called the summit a "feel-out meeting" to test Putin, whom he last saw in 2019. "If it's a bad meeting, it'll end very quickly, and if it's a good meeting, we're going to end up getting peace in the pretty near future," Trump said Thursday. He gave the summit a one-in-four chance of failure.
Trump's latest shift
Trump has boasted of his relationship with Putin, blamed predecessor Joe Biden for the war and vowed before his return to the White House in January to bring peace within 24 hours. Yet despite repeated calls to Putin, and a stunning February 28 White House meeting in which Trump publicly berated Zelensky, the Russian leader has shown no signs of compromise.
Trump has acknowledged his frustration with Putin and warned of "very severe consequences" if he does not accept a ceasefire – but also agreed to see him in Alaska.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has also called for security guarantees for Ukraine – an idea downplayed by Trump at the start of his latest term.
The talks are set to begin at 11:30 am (1930 GMT) on Friday at the Elmendorf Air Force Base, the largest US military installation in Alaska and a Cold War base for surveillance of the former Soviet Union. Adding to the historical significance, the United States bought Alaska in 1867 from Russia – a deal Moscow has cited to show the legitimacy of land swaps.
The Kremlin said it expected Putin and Trump to meet alone with interpreters before a working lunch with aides. Neither leader is expected to step off the base into Anchorage, Alaska's largest city, where protesters have put up signs of solidarity with Ukraine.
Closely watched abroad
Every word and gesture will be closely watched by European leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who was not included and has publicly refused pressure from Trump to surrender territory seized by Russia.
Zelensky said on Tuesday that the Alaska summit was a "personal victory" for Putin. With the trip, Putin "is coming out of isolation" and he has "somehow postponed sanctions," which Trump had vowed to impose on Russia without progress.
Trump has promised to consult with European leaders and Zelensky, saying that any final agreement would come in a three-way meeting with Putin and the Ukrainian president to "divvy up" territory.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, meanwhile, responded to a question from Russian state TV by saying that Moscow would not make guesses on the outcome of the meeting. "We never make any predictions ahead of time," Lavrov said after he reached Alaska, wearing what appeared to be a shirt with "USSR" written across it in Cyrillic script. "Our position is clear and unambiguous. We will present it," he said.
Sanctions eased
The summit marks a sharp shift from the approach of Western European leaders and Biden, who vowed no discussion with Russia on Ukraine's future unless Ukraine was also at the table.
Putin faces an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court, leading him to curtail travel sharply since the war began. However, the United States is not a party to the Hague tribunal, and Trump's Treasury Department temporarily eased sanctions on top Russian officials to allow them to travel and use bank cards in Alaska.
Exiled Russian opposition figure Yulia Navalnaya – whose husband Alexei Navalny died in prison last year – urged the two leaders to strike a deal to "release Russian political activists and journalists, Ukrainian civilians, [and] those who were imprisoned for anti-war statements and posts on social media."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
France 24
an hour ago
- France 24
Zelensky returns to site of stunning Oval Office shouting match
At the February 28 meeting, Trump and Vice President JD Vance berated Zelensky on live television, accusing him of being ungrateful for US aid provided since Russia's invasion three years prior, and pressing for quick negotiations to end the war. The hostile confrontation marked a turning point in Kyiv-Washington relations, which had been warm under former president Joe Biden, and raised fears that Trump would cut off US military support. The scene quickly devolved at the end of a long question-and-answer session with the press. Vance accused Zelensky of being "disrespectful" and displaying ingratitude for Trump's diplomatic efforts, after the Ukrainian leader expressed skepticism that Russian President Vladimir Putin could be trusted given his repeated violations of earlier agreements. As Zelensky defended his position in his non-native English, Trump was enraged by the Ukrainian leader's suggestion that while the United States was currently far from the fighting, "you will feel it in the future" if they appeased Putin. "You don't know that. You don't know that. Don't tell us what we're going to feel. We're trying to solve a problem. Don't tell us what we're going to feel," railed Trump, before adding: "You're not in a good position. You don't have the cards right now." As tempers flared, Vance demanded Zelensky thank the United States for the billions provided to Kyiv in military aid. "Have you said 'thank you' once?" he asked. When Zelensky attempted to respond, he was silenced by Trump. "No, no. You've done a lot of talking. Your country is in big trouble," said Trump, cutting Zelensky off. The Ukrainian leader left the White House shortly after, without signing a mineral rights deal that was a key reason for his visit. In the ensuing days, the United States temporarily cut off military aid and intelligence sharing with Ukraine, heightening European fears that Trump would side with Putin in trying to end the conflict. Shifting tides Much water has since flowed under the bridge, however. Trump, who has in the past expressed his admiration for Putin, began to lose patience with the Russian leader, as Moscow kept up its military offensive even as US special envoy Steve Witkoff engaged in feverish diplomacy to achieve a ceasefire. In April, Trump met with Zelensky at the Vatican, and accused Putin of "tapping me along" without delivering on promises. Days later, Ukraine and the United States finally signed a minerals deal, which Trump had earlier referred to as compensation for US aid. The two leaders also met face-to-face in June on the sidelines of the NATO summit at The Hague. On Friday, Trump met with Putin in Alaska to discuss the Ukrainian conflict, promising to run any proposals by both Ukraine and its European allies before agreeing to a deal. Shortly after the Putin summit, Trump invited Zelensky to the Oval Office. Perhaps wary of the contours of the previous diplomatic dust-up, Zelensky quickly said he was "grateful for the invitation." European leaders will join Zelensky in Washington on Monday, seeking above all else to prevent another Oval Office meltdown -- but also to coordinate on the path toward peace negotiations, especially on how to prevent any future Russian invasion. On the latter front, the Trump administration says it is now open to providing Ukraine security guarantees, a shift hailed Sunday by Ukrainian and European leaders. Zelensky is expected to first meet one-on-one with Trump, before they are joined by European leaders, including UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte and EU chief Ursula von der Leyen, a European government source said.
France 24
an hour ago
- France 24
Asia stocks up, oil down before Trump-Zelensky talks
US President Trump met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday, but the summit failed to yield any breakthrough on a ceasefire in Ukraine. Zelensky, who will be joined in Washington by European leaders, however called a US offer of security guarantees to Ukraine "historic". "Trump and Putin walked away without a ceasefire, without even the illusion of one," said Stephen Innes at SPI Asset Management. "What they did offer was theatre: enough 'progress' for Trump to declare victory and quietly holster his double-barreled threat -- tariffs on Beijing for buying Russian barrels and sanctions on Moscow's crude," Innes said. Before the Alaska talks, US stocks wavered on Friday after mixed economic data, with retail sales up but an industrial production index and a consumer survey both down. Oil prices, which have been volatile for several days -- Russia is a major crude producer -- fell back on Monday, adding to a drop on Friday. Japan's Nikkei was up, posting a new record high and adding to gains on Friday after better-than-expected economic growth data. The Hang Seng, Shanghai, and Sydney were also higher while Taipei fell back. This week investor eyes will be on any clues on US interest rates at the Federal Reserve's annual retreat at Jackson Hole. Key figures at around 0130 GMT Tokyo - Nikkei 225: UP 0.7 percent at 43,678.12 Hong Kong - Hang Seng Index: UP 0.1 percent at 25,293.34 Shanghai - Composite: UP 0.2 percent at 3,704.76 New York - Dow: UP 0.1 percent at 44,946.12 (close) London - FTSE 100: DOWN 0.4 percent at 9,138.90 (close) Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.1699 from $1.1704 on Friday Pound/dollar: DOWN $1.3556 at from $1.3557 Dollar/yen: UP at 147.47 yen from 146.85 yen Euro/pound: DOWN at 86.30 pence from 86.34 pence © 2025 AFP
LeMonde
6 hours ago
- LeMonde
Washington becomes the showcase for Trump's security policy
Residents of Washington, DC have gradually grown accustomed to the presence of uniformed troops and armored vehicles in the city's streets. On Monday, August 11, the American president announced that he would take control of the local police and requisition the National Guard, aiming to counter what he described as a crime wave affecting the capital. The majority of military personnel and federal agents are now deployed on the ground. US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Secret Service, Border Patrol, US Marshals... The Washington Post mapped the presence of 10 federal agencies, representing the full range of American law enforcement. Meanwhile, the city's Democratic authorities have sought to mount a legal response. After initially announcing their cooperation with the Trump administration, the city's mayor and the district's attorney general – both Democrats – filed a lawsuit to contest the decision placing police chief Pamela Smith under the authority of DEA chief Terry Cole.
