President Donald Trump will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday, with both leaders entering the summit with sharply different priorities on Ukraine. Putin, according to Kremlin aides, plans to appeal to Trump's business instincts by highlighting "huge untapped potential" in U.S.-Russia economic cooperation, while Trump has told allies his top goal is securing a ceasefire.
The meeting, requested by Putin and arranged on short notice, marks the Russian leader's first invitation to meet a U.S. president on American soil since 2007. It comes after weeks of unsuccessful negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv in Turkey. Russian officials say the Kremlin's conditions remain unchanged: Ukraine must withdraw forces from key regions and renounce NATO membership-terms Kyiv has rejected outright.
Putin is bringing top economic advisers, including Finance Minister Anton Siluanov, who has led Russia's sanctions response. "Putin knows Trump sees the world through a business lens, and will pitch a peace on his terms as the gateway to lucrative opportunities," said a former Kremlin official. Moscow sources say Putin will seek U.S. recognition of Donetsk and Luhansk as Russian territory.
Trump's recent rhetoric has shifted from threatening sanctions to striking a softer tone with Putin, following a meeting between the Russian leader and Trump envoy Steve Witkoff. Witkoff is believed to have discussed a ceasefire proposal involving Ukrainian withdrawal from Luhansk and Donetsk-territories partly under Russian control. Kyiv has warned it will not cede additional land, with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arguing Moscow could use gains to launch future attacks.
On Wednesday, Trump spoke with Zelenskyy and European leaders, assuring them he would not negotiate territorial divisions with Putin. "There's a very good chance that we're going to have a second meeting... between President Putin and President Zelenskyy and myself," Trump told reporters, adding that Russia would face "severe consequences" if a ceasefire is rejected.
European officials said the group agreed a ceasefire must precede peace talks. While some left the call encouraged, others remain concerned Trump could alter his position once in the room with Putin. "Sometimes these positions change and get revised in a matter of hours," one European official cautioned.
