POTUS Trump–Prez Putin to Meet in Alaska on Aug 15 in High-Stakes Attempt to End Ukraine War
US President Donald Trump will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on August 15 in a bid to negotiate an end to the ongoing war in Ukraine, the White House confirmed on Friday.
The announcement, made by Trump via his Truth Social account, described the event as “highly anticipated” and set against the backdrop of a more than three-year-long conflict that has killed tens of thousands, displaced millions, and defied multiple international mediation efforts.
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Putin’s First US Visit in a Decade
Putin’s trip to Alaska will mark his first visit to the United States since September 2015, when he attended the UN General Assembly in New York and met then-President Barack Obama. The Kremlin confirmed the meeting and called it a “significant step” in the bilateral dialogue between the two nuclear powers.
The location is seen as a strategic midpoint between Washington and Moscow, echoing Cold War–era summit symbolism when neutral or geographically significant venues were chosen for sensitive talks.
Backdrop: Failed Trilateral Proposal
The announcement follows a visit to Moscow earlier this month by Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff. According to Kremlin foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov, Witkoff carried “signals” from Trump to Putin, though no specific agenda was disclosed.
During the visit, Witkoff reportedly proposed a trilateral meeting involving Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, but the Kremlin did not respond directly to the idea. “The Russian side left this option completely without comment,” Ushakov said.
Trump’s Cautious Optimism
Speaking to reporters before the announcement, Trump expressed guarded hope about the possibility of progress. “We have a shot,” he said, referring to brokering a peace deal. However, the US president acknowledged that both sides remain entrenched, with Moscow resisting calls for a ceasefire and Kyiv insisting on the restoration of its territorial integrity.
This will be the first face-to-face meeting between Trump and Putin since the US administration escalated economic measures against Russia’s allies, including a doubling of tariffs on Indian exports over New Delhi’s continued purchases of Russian crude oil.
Three Years of War and Stalled Peace Talks
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, three rounds of direct talks between Moscow and Kyiv have failed to yield results. The war has caused widespread destruction, forced millions of Ukrainians to flee their homes, and reshaped global energy and food markets.
Despite repeated appeals from Washington, European capitals, and the UN, Russia has rejected unilateral ceasefire demands. The Kremlin maintains that any resolution must reflect “new realities on the ground,” a position Kyiv has categorically rejected.
Strategic and Geopolitical Stakes
Analysts view the Alaska meeting as more than a bilateral encounter, it could set the tone for the next phase of the war and influence global alignments. With NATO supplying Ukraine and BRICS members like India and Brazil resisting Western economic pressure, the summit will be closely watched in capitals across Europe, Asia, and the Global South.