Raphael Kanu
Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin are set to meet on Friday at a Cold War-era air force base in Alaska, with discussions expected to focus on a possible Ukraine ceasefire. The summit also comes with a last-minute proposal from Putin for a potential face-saving nuclear accord.
This will be the first face-to-face meeting between the Russian and U.S. presidents since Trump returned to the White House. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who was not invited to the talks, and European allies worry that Trump could pressure Kyiv into making territorial concessions.
Trump is aiming for a truce in the three-and-a-half-year war, a move that could bolster his image as a global peacemaker and strengthen his case for a Nobel Peace Prize. For Putin, the meeting is already a diplomatic win, allowing him to showcase that Western efforts to isolate Russia have failed and that Moscow is back at the top tier of global diplomacy. The Russian leader has long wanted to engage Trump directly without Ukraine present.
The White House confirmed the summit will take place at 11 a.m. Alaska time (1900 GMT). Trump, who once claimed he could end the war within 24 hours, acknowledged on Thursday that the conflict — Europe’s largest land war since World War Two — has been more complex than anticipated. He said that if talks with Putin go well, organising a three-way meeting with Zelenskiy would be “even more important” than his bilateral with Putin.
A Kremlin insider suggested signs of possible compromise on Ukraine. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, part of the Alaska delegation, said Moscow never reveals its position in advance. Ukraine and its European allies, however, were encouraged by a call on Wednesday in which they said Trump agreed Ukraine must be part of any discussions on ceding land, and that he supported security guarantees for Kyiv.
Putin’s war economy is showing signs of strain, and he is seeking U.S. cooperation to ease or avoid new sanctions — something Trump has threatened. On the eve of the summit, Putin also offered the possibility of negotiating a new nuclear arms control treaty to replace the last remaining pact, which expires in February next year.
Trump expressed optimism on Thursday, saying he believed Putin would agree to a deal on Ukraine, though his tone has shifted between confidence and caution. Putin, for his part, praised what he described as “sincere efforts” from the U.S. to end the war. The Kremlin source said some terms could be agreed upon, noting, “Trump cannot be refused, and we are not in a position to refuse because of sanctions pressure.” They predicted both Russia and Ukraine would need to make uncomfortable concessions.
Putin has maintained strict conditions for a full ceasefire, but one potential compromise could involve halting the air war. Analysts warn Putin may appear to give Trump what he wants while keeping the option to escalate later. Sam Greene, director of Democratic Resilience at the Center for European Policy Analysis, cautioned that a deal leaving Russia in control of escalation could be advantageous for Putin without providing genuine deterrence.
Zelenskiy has accused Putin of stalling to avoid U.S. secondary sanctions and has ruled out formally handing over territory. Trump has suggested that land transfers might be one way to break the deadlock.
Currently, Russian forces control nearly 20% of Ukraine. Putin’s objectives include full control of the Donbas region — comprising Donetsk and Luhansk — as well as the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions. He also wants NATO membership taken off the table for Ukraine and limitations placed on its armed forces. Kyiv has rejected these demands as tantamount to capitulation.
Whether Putin is ready to compromise remains uncertain. Having been in power for 25 years, he has tied his legacy to achieving a result he can present domestically as victory.