Trump and Putin
By Abayomi Grace
US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are set to hold talks in Alaska on August 15, 2025, aimed at ending the Ukraine war. This meeting marks the first face-to-face engagement between the two leaders since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Trump and Putin previously spoke by phone, agreeing to start high-level talks to end the war, with Trump expressing optimism about the potential for a meeting between Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The key points of discussion will likely include potential peace negotiations and concessions that might lead to peace. However, reports suggest Putin might be open to a meeting with Zelenskyy only if Ukraine formally cedes the regions of Donetsk and Luhansk, annexed by Moscow in 2022. Zelenskyy has rejected demands for territorial concessions, citing Ukraine’s Constitution, which would require a national referendum before any territorial changes.
A potential trilateral meeting between Trump, Putin, and Zelenskyy is being explored, but details remain uncertain. Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, met with Putin in Moscow to discuss potential peace negotiations, expecting real progress soon. European leaders have expressed concerns about potential negotiations on Ukraine’s future without its direct involvement .
Trump has stated he’ll tell Putin to end the invasion and include Zelensky in the next meeting. “I’m going to be telling him, ‘You’ve got to end this war,'” Trump said. The US president has also expressed support for sending more US weapons to Ukraine and threatening tariffs on Russian oil buyers. The meeting’s outcome is uncertain, with many wondering if Trump and Putin can make progress on ending the conflict .
