As war rages in Ukraine, the US and Russia convene in Anchorage for a “feel-out” meeting aimed at exploring potential paths to peace.
The US and Russia have agreed to a pivotal meeting between Presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin on Friday, 15 August, designed to discuss ways to end the war in Ukraine. Announced a week earlier, the summit coincides with Trump’s deadline for Moscow to agree to a ceasefire or face additional US sanctions.
The location carries historical resonance. Alaska, once Russian territory purchased by the US in 1867 and a state since 1959, sits just across the Bering Strait from Russia. Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov noted the proximity, saying it was logical for the summit to take place there. The two leaders will meet in Anchorage at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, a sprawling military installation central to US Arctic readiness.
Trump has long positioned himself as a dealmaker in Ukraine, asserting he could have ended the war within 24 hours as president. Despite frustrations over stalled diplomacy, he described the Alaska summit as a “feel-out meeting” to encourage Putin to end hostilities, following productive talks between the Russian leader and US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff in Moscow.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is not expected to attend, though he will hold a virtual meeting with Trump and several European leaders ahead of the summit. Zelensky has emphasized that agreements reached without Ukraine’s input would be “dead decisions.”
Both sides have competing objectives. Trump has expressed a desire to recover some Russian-occupied Ukrainian territory while also acknowledging the possibility of “swapping” land. Ukraine, however, remains firm against rewarding Russia for its territorial gains, including Crimea. Meanwhile, Putin maintains his demands on territorial control, Ukrainian neutrality, and the future size of Ukraine’s armed forces.
With the war in its fourth year, the Alaska summit represents a critical moment for diplomacy, raising questions about whether high-level dialogue can produce concrete progress in a conflict marked by deep divisions and unyielding territorial disputes.