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U.S. President Donald Trump is set to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin on August 15, 2025, in Alaska, for high-stakes talks aimed at ending the war in Ukraine. The summit marks the first in-person meeting between the two leaders since Trump’s return to the White House in January.
The announcement has sparked concern in Kyiv, where Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has firmly stated that Ukraine must be directly involved in any negotiations concerning its future. “Ukrainians will not gift their land to the occupier,” Zelenskyy said, rejecting any proposal that includes territorial concessions to Russia.
Trump has suggested that the talks may involve “some swapping of territories to the betterment of both” Ukraine and Russia, though no specific details have been released. The White House has indicated that a trilateral summit involving Zelenskyy remains a possibility, but no formal invitation has been confirmed.
European leaders have issued a joint statement backing Trump’s diplomatic efforts but emphasized that any peace agreement must include Ukraine’s full participation, uphold its sovereignty, and reject changes to international borders by force.
The Alaska summit comes amid ongoing hostilities. Russian forces continue to launch missile and drone attacks across Ukraine, while Ukrainian troops resist advances along the front lines. Despite multiple rounds of negotiations, no ceasefire has been achieved, and both sides remain far apart on key conditions.
The meeting’s location—Alaska, once Russian territory—has drawn symbolic scrutiny, with critics warning it could embolden Moscow and marginalize Ukraine’s position in the peace process.
