New Delhi, Aug 9: US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet in Alaska on August 15 for their first face-to-face talks since 2019, in a move that could alter the trajectory of the Russia-Ukraine war, according to the BBC and other international outlets. The summit comes after Moscow ignored Trump’s ceasefire deadline and amid proposals that could see Ukraine cede territory to Russia.
Trump, announcing the meeting on social media, called it “highly anticipated” and hinted at “swapping of territories… to the betterment of both.” Reports suggest the White House’s draft plan would formalise Russian control over parts of occupied Ukraine. Kyiv has not yet responded, and European leaders have been excluded from the meeting.
The Kremlin confirmed Putin’s trip—his first to US soil since relations soured after the 2014 annexation of Crimea—and said Trump has been invited to Moscow for follow-up talks.
The Alaska summit follows months of quiet diplomacy, including a February phone call, ministerial meetings in Saudi Arabia, peace framework talks in March, multiple visits to Moscow by Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff, and trilateral discussions in Turkey. The ceasefire deadline expired on August 8, prompting Trump’s announcement.
Alaska, which hosted US–China talks in 2021, will now serve as the stage for what many see as a pivotal moment in global security.