Former U.S. President Donald Trump says he will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska this Friday to discuss ending the three-year Ukraine war. But Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warns that no deal is possible without Kyiv’s participation, as fears grow that Ukraine could be sidelined in a historic summit.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump announced that he will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday to discuss a potential deal to end the war in Ukraine. While the Kremlin has yet to confirm Trump’s statement, diplomatic sources indicate that preparations are underway for an emergency summit next week.
The Russia-Ukraine conflict, which has claimed tens of thousands of lives and entered its third year, remains the largest European war since World War II. Trump suggested that any agreement could involve a “land swap,” though he provided no specific details. Analysts close to the Kremlin speculate that Russia may consider giving up some territories outside the four regions it claims to have annexed.
Trump also confirmed he would hold talks with Putin before involving Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, sparking concern among European leaders that Ukraine could be excluded from critical negotiations. The upcoming Alaska summit will mark the first U.S.-Russia meeting of this level since Joe Biden met Putin in Geneva in 2021.
Ukrainian President Zelensky swiftly responded, declaring that Ukraine would never cede territory to Russia and that “any decision taken without Ukraine is a decision against peace.” He stressed that the war cannot be resolved without Kyiv’s direct participation.
Putin’s last U.S. visit was in 2015 for the United Nations General Assembly in New York. If confirmed, the Alaska meeting could become one of the most consequential geopolitical moments of the decade, with global powers watching to see if it can break the deadlock in the war.
