U.S. President Donald Trump flew to Alaska on Friday for his first face-to-face meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin since returning to office, calling the talks a “high stakes” effort to broker a Ukraine ceasefire.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, not invited to the meeting, warned against a deal that could cement Russian control over occupied territory. Trump said Ukraine must decide on any territorial swaps, stressing he aimed to bring the sides to the table rather than negotiate for Kyiv.
The two leaders are meeting at a Cold War-era air base in Anchorage around 11 a.m. (1900 GMT), with discussions expected to last up to seven hours and cover both the war and broader U.S.-Russia relations.
Trump hopes to secure a truce in the 3-1/2-year-old conflict, bolstering his image as a peacemaker. Putin, meanwhile, is likely to present the summit as evidence Russia is back at the top tier of global diplomacy despite Western attempts at isolation.
A Kremlin source told Reuters there were signs of possible compromise, including a freeze along current front lines, security guarantees, and a potential new nuclear arms deal. Putin has linked any ceasefire to verification measures, while Zelenskiy insists on U.S.-backed security guarantees and rejects formal territorial concessions.
The meeting comes as Russia maintains a military presence in Ukraine and amid continuing missile strikes, including one on Friday that killed a civilian in Dnipropetrovsk.
Trump has threatened “economically severe” consequences for Russia if talks fail, while Putin faces pressure from sanctions and a strained war economy.