President Donald Trump announced on Friday that he will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin next week in Alaska, with discussions likely centered on the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
The meeting, scheduled for August 15, 2025, comes as millions of Ukrainians have been displaced since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.
Trump stated in a post on his Truth Social platform, ‘The highly anticipated meeting between myself, as President of the United States of America, and President Vladimir Putin, of Russia, will take place next Friday, August 15, 2025, in the Great State of Alaska.’
He also suggested that a potential deal to resolve the war in Ukraine could involve the ‘swapping of territories’ beneficial to both nations, though he did not elaborate on the specifics.
The Kremlin has yet to confirm the date or location of the summit.
Despite multiple rounds of negotiations, previous talks between Russia and Ukraine have yielded little progress.
As Russian bombardments continue, vast areas of eastern and southern Ukraine are facing devastation, and millions of people have been forced to flee their homes.
Putin has consistently rebuffed calls from the United States, Europe, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for a ceasefire, stating he is unwilling to engage in talks with Zelensky unless it is during a ‘final phase’ of negotiations.
Following a recent round of talks in Istanbul, Russian negotiators laid out stringent territorial demands for halting their military advancement, including calls for Ukraine to withdraw from certain territories it controls and to abandon Western military support.
The upcoming Alaska summit marks the first meeting between sitting U.S. and Russian presidents since Joe Biden’s meeting with Putin in Geneva in June 2021.
Trump and Putin last interacted in person at the G20 summit in Japan in 2019, although they have spoken on the phone several times since January this year.
On Friday, Putin consulted with Chinese President Xi Jinping regarding the situation in Ukraine and the ongoing dialogues with U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff, who recently visited Moscow.
Xi expressed support for a ‘long-term’ resolution to the conflict, emphasizing the importance of ongoing communication between Russia and the United States.
According to China’s Xinhua state news agency, Xi remarked, ‘China is glad to see Russia and the United States maintain contact, improve their relations, and promote a political settlement of the Ukraine crisis.’
In addition to conversations with Xi, Putin also spoke to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The discussion came after both leaders condemned new U.S. tariffs imposed on India regarding its oil purchases from Russia.
Amid all this, both Xi and Modi have attempted to present their own peace initiatives for Ukraine, yet these efforts have not gained substantial traction.
In a recent address, Zelensky reaffirmed that Ukraine’s participation is essential in negotiations to reach a resolution.
Today, Donetsk governor Vadym Filashkin announced plans to evacuate families with children from 19 additional villages within the eastern region due to advancing Russian military operations.
These villages, located about 20 miles (30 kilometers) from the front line, are home to hundreds of residents, highlighting the urgency of the situation as the conflict continues to unfold.
image source from：timesofisrael
