Presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin will meet in Anchorage, Alaska, on Friday, August 15, in a bid to find a path toward ending the war in Ukraine. The announcement came on the same day Trump’s deadline expired for Russia to accept a ceasefire or face harsher U.S. sanctions. Three earlier rounds of talks this summer—initiated by Trump—have failed to bridge the gap between Moscow and Kyiv.
The location carries symbolic weight: Alaska was Russian territory until its 1867 sale to the U.S., and the two nations remain neighbors across the Bering Strait. Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov called the choice “logical,” while Trump described it as “a very popular” setting. The meeting will be held at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, a key Arctic military hub.
Trump has long claimed he could end the war quickly, asserting it would never have started under his watch. While frustrated with Putin, he has not abandoned the prospect of a deal. The White House, however, is tempering expectations, calling the meeting a “listening exercise.” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will not attend but will speak with Trump virtually beforehand alongside European leaders.
Both sides are far apart: Ukraine rejects any land concessions, including Crimea and the Donbas, while Russia demands territorial control, neutrality for Ukraine, and limits on its military. Reports suggest Trump’s team has floated a controversial ceasefire plan allowing Russia to retain Crimea and Donbas in exchange for withdrawing from other occupied regions—an idea Kyiv strongly opposes.
U.S. Vice-President JD Vance defended the push for compromise, saying peace requires “a decisive leader to sit down and force people to come together.” Whether this Alaska summit will mark a turning point or just another round of stalemate remains to be seen.
