The summit between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin will begin around 11 a.m. today (2 a.m. on 16/8 Hanoi time) at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska’s largest city, according to the White House.
The last time Trump and Putin met in person was at the G20 summit in Japan in 2019, during Trump’s first term. The two leaders have spoken by phone several times since Trump returned to the White House in January.
This will also be the first time a Russian leader has set foot in Alaska since Moscow sold the territory to Washington in 1867.
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Presidents Putin (left) and Trump. Photo: AP |
Presidents Putin (left) and Trump. Photo: AP
According to Yuri Ushakov, Putin’s foreign policy advisor, the two leaders will meet one-on-one, with only interpreters present.
The focus of the meeting is Ukraine. Trump and Putin will also discuss international security issues and exchange views on bilateral cooperation, including trade and economic matters. The two presidents will hold a joint press conference after the event to summarize the results.
The Russian delegation is expected to include Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Defense Minister Andrei Belousov, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov, and Kirill Dmitriev, the Russian President’s special envoy for investment and economic cooperation.
Trump expressed confidence that Putin wants to reach an agreement to end the conflict in Ukraine, but also warned that the summit has a 25% chance of failure. He also threatened “very serious consequences” for Moscow if Putin does not agree to halt the military operation in Ukraine during the meeting.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will not be present. Trump pledged not to sign any agreement with Russia independently, but to involve Ukraine in all decisions about its own fate.
If the meeting in Alaska goes well, Trump proposed a subsequent US-Russia-Ukraine summit. Other European leaders may also participate in this event.
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Entrance to Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska on 13/8. Photo: AP |
Entrance to Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska on 13/8. Photo: AP
Putin praised the US administration for its efforts to find a solution to the conflict in Ukraine. He also hinted that the two leaders could reach an agreement on nuclear arms control at the Alaska meeting.
The New START treaty, the only remaining nuclear arms agreement between Moscow and Washington, will expire on 5/2/2026.
Observers suggest that a potential peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine might require Kyiv to cede territory to Moscow. Before the meeting, Trump mentioned the idea that both Russia and Ukraine might need to make territorial concessions to end the war.
However, this is a legal red line for Ukraine, as the country’s constitution prohibits anyone, including the president, the cabinet, or the parliament, from altering the territorial integrity without a referendum.
Zelensky firmly rejected the idea of territorial concessions to Russia, stating that Ukraine will “not cede land to the occupiers.”
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Location of Alaska. Image: Google Maps |
Location of Alaska. Image: Google Maps
Pham Giang (Reuters, CNN)
