President Donald Trump announced on Friday that he will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on August 15 to negotiate a resolution to the war in Ukraine. According to Trump, who made the announcement on social media, a ceasefire deal is close, which could potentially require Ukraine to surrender a significant amount of territory.
Speaking to reporters, Trump suggested that the agreement would involve a “swapping of territories to the betterment of both.” The Kremlin later confirmed the summit, with Putin’s aide Yuri Ushakov stating that the leaders will “focus on discussing options for achieving a long-term peaceful resolution.” While Ushakov acknowledged the process would be “challenging,” he affirmed that they would engage in it “actively and energetically.”
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, in an evening address, said a ceasefire was possible with adequate pressure on Russia. However, he warned that “decisions without Ukraine” would not bring peace and ruled out ceding any territory, stating that “Ukrainians will not give their land to the occupier.” Previously, Bloomberg News reported that a potential deal could solidify Russia’s control over seized territory, but both the White House and Kremlin did not confirm the report. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, a close ally of Ukraine, also expressed optimism after meeting with Zelensky, saying that a “freeze in the conflict” might be closer than people think.
In recent actions, Trump had threatened new sanctions against Russia if Putin did not agree to end the conflict. In a move to pressure Moscow, his administration imposed an additional 25% tariff on goods from India due to its imports of Russian oil. This marks the first financial penalty targeting Russia in Trump’s second term. The announcement of the summit follows constructive talks held between Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, and Putin in Moscow on Wednesday.
