Washington/Anchorage, Aug 15. 2025— US President Donald Trump left for Alaska on Friday to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in a summit described as “high-stakes,” with potential implications for the war in Ukraine and broader European security.
Trump has framed the meeting as an opportunity to demonstrate his credentials as a dealmaker and global peacemaker. “HIGH STAKES!!!” he posted on Truth Social early Friday as his motorcade waited outside the White House. Later, he boarded Air Force One without speaking to reporters.
For Putin, the summit provides a long-sought chance to negotiate a deal that could solidify Russia’s territorial gains, block Ukraine’s NATO aspirations, and pull Kyiv closer to Moscow’s influence. Analysts note, however, that the exclusion of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy from the summit undermines the West’s principle of “nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine” and raises the possibility that Trump could endorse a deal opposed by Kyiv.
Trump himself acknowledged the risks, saying Thursday that there was a 25 percent chance the meeting would fail. He also suggested that a successful summit could lead to a subsequent three-way meeting including Zelenskyy — an idea Russia has not agreed to.
The gap between Russian and Ukrainian demands remains wide. Putin has repeatedly resisted any temporary ceasefire unless Western arms shipments stop and Ukraine freezes mobilization efforts — conditions rejected by Kyiv and its Western allies.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, speaking in Anchorage, downplayed pre-set expectations. “We never plan ahead. We know that we have arguments, a clear, understandable position. We will state it,” he said, according to footage posted on the Russian Foreign Ministry’s Telegram channel.
The meeting marks a rare direct engagement between the two leaders and is being closely watched for its potential impact on the trajectory of the conflict and future US-Russia relations.
