Trump's meeting with Putin in Alaska: what you need to know

The most important meeting for Ukraine between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin will take place on 15 August 2025 in Alaska, becoming one of the most discussed political events of the year. The choice of venue, the announced topics of the talks and the possible consequences are already causing controversy in the United States, Ukraine and around the world. Find out why the summit is being held here, what the leaders plan to discuss and what risks it poses for Ukraine

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On 15 August 2025, a historic meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin will take place in Alaska. This summit is already being called the most high-profile event of the year, as it will take place against the backdrop of the ongoing war in Ukraine and Trump's proposals for a ‘territorial exchange’. The venue, format and possible consequences are the subject of lively debate in political circles and society.

Why Alaska?

There are several reasons for choosing Alaska. Logistically, it is a convenient location for both delegations: the flight from Russia via the Bering Strait is shorter than to the mainland states, and the journey is not too long for the American side either. In addition, Alaska was historically part of the Russian Empire until it was sold to the United States in 1867, which gives the event a symbolic significance.

There is also a legal aspect: the United States is not a member of the International Criminal Court, so the ICC arrest warrant for Putin does not apply here. This eliminates the risk of the Russian leader being detained at the request of The Hague.

However, the organisers encountered a problem when choosing a meeting place in Alaska. Summer is the peak tourist season in Alaska, and the number of acceptable options for hosting two world leaders is extremely limited.

It turned out that only the Elmendorf-Richardson military base on the northern outskirts of Anchorage met the security requirements for this meeting.

Overall, Trump has come under fire for holding the meeting with the Russian dictator on American soil. Some believe that the meeting will effectively legitimise Putin, who has found himself almost completely isolated internationally following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

According to critics of the Alaska summit, the meeting with Trump could thaw Putin's status and allow him and the Russian state as a whole to avoid punishment for the war in Ukraine, returning Russia and its leader to the world stage and lifting sanctions for the deaths of thousands and the suffering of millions.

What will the format of the meeting be?

The meeting between Putin and Trump will begin tomorrow at 22:30 Kyiv time with a one-on-one conversation in the presence of interpreters. After that, representatives of the countries will hold talks in a ‘5 on 5’ format.

It is known that the Russian delegation will include Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Presidential Aide Yuri Ushakov, Defence Minister Andrei Belousov, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov and negotiator and financier Kirill Dmitriev.

The American delegation will be represented by Vice President Jay Chao, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Special Representative Steve Wiltfage and Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bassett.

A press conference with Putin and Trump is planned following the talks.

The main topic of the meeting is the settlement of the war in Ukraine

Trump's statement that ‘part of Ukrainian territory will be returned, part will be exchanged’ caused the greatest resonance. This prompted a harsh reaction from Kyiv: President Volodymyr Zelensky and representatives of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry stated that the Constitution of Ukraine does not allow any concessions of territory.

According to the BBC, citing experts, Trump will likely try to use the meeting to promote his concept of a ‘quick peace,’ while not ruling out negotiations without Ukraine's direct participation — which raises concerns about backroom deals.

The ‘territorial exchange’ plan, according to US media reports, involves the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the Donetsk region. However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has already stated that Ukraine has no intention of leaving Donbas.

According to him, Steve Witkoff said that there should be territorial concessions on both sides. ‘And that Putin probably wants us to leave Donbas. That is, it did not sound like America wants us to leave. This is not a proposal from Trump or Witkoff,’ Zelensky said.

But he noted that the Russians, for the sake of a ‘ceasefire,’ are simply proposing not to advance further, not to cede any territory.

‘They probably understand that they will not get Kharkiv anyway, and they will not get the Sumy region anyway. And, to be honest, they have no forces on the Kinburn Spit, which blocks the seaport of Mykolaiv. It is not strategic for them. They just want us to leave Donbas, to give them Donbas,’ he said.

Zelensky believes that any territorial issue cannot be separated from security guarantees, because without them, the Russians will probably want to advance on Dnipro, Zaporizhzhia, and Kharkiv.

At the same time, the United States is allegedly ready to provide guarantees to Ukraine, which could be a key factor in the issue of Ukrainian concessions.

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What will happen after the meeting between Trump and Putin?

Trump has publicly expressed his desire to organise a meeting with Zelensky after talks with Putin. EU and Ukrainian diplomats are already discussing scenarios to prevent crucial issues from being resolved without Kyiv's participation.

However, British officials are concerned about ‘unnecessary comments’ from EU leaders regarding the upcoming talks between US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.

According to sources, there is growing concern about how European leaders — in particular Emmanuel Macron, Friedrich Merz and Kaja Kallas — are talking about Ukraine's future.

In London, it is believed that public demands on the US – such as insisting on Ukraine's participation in the talks – can only irritate Trump and push him to make decisions without European involvement.

British officials have therefore called on European Union leaders to stop their ‘harmful commentary’.

Despite this, Trump has already confirmed that he wants to hold a trilateral meeting with Zelensky and Putin. American media reports that the White House has begun searching for a venue for the three leaders' talks.

Why are many sceptical about this meeting?

The relationship between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin has long been regarded as confusing and enigmatic, writes the Financial Times.

Their first official meeting in Germany in 2017 was memorable for Trump confiscating his interpreter's notes from the meeting to hide the details of the talks.

The Vietnam summit that same year was the scene where Trump believed Putin's words that Russia did not interfere in the 2016 election.

And in Helsinki in 2018, the American president publicly questioned the conclusions of his own intelligence services, saying: ‘President Putin says it's not Russia. I don't see any reason why that wouldn't be the case,’ the publication recalls.

The summit in Alaska will be the first face-to-face meeting between the leaders since Trump's return to the White House. Judging by past meetings, many fear that Putin, a former intelligence officer, will come out on top, the FT notes.

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