The White House has tempered expectations for a quick Russia-Ukraine ceasefire deal from the upcoming summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska this Friday. White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt stated on Tuesday that the meeting “is a listening exercise for the president.” She added that because “only one party that’s involved in this war is going to be present,” the summit’s purpose is for Trump to gain a “more firm and better understanding of how we can hopefully bring this war to an end.”
The one-on-one meeting will be held in Anchorage, Alaska, and Leavitt noted that a future visit to Russia is also a possibility. A key point of contention ahead of the talks is Trump’s suggestion that both sides will need to cede land to end the 3.5-year-old conflict.
However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has countered that his country’s constitution prohibits such a deal and that any agreements must include Ukraine’s participation. The White House declined to comment on the conversations between Trump and Zelensky ahead of the meeting with Putin. Trump had previously indicated on Monday that Zelensky might be invited to a future meeting with Putin. Leavitt emphasized that “the president has deep respect for all parties that are involved in this conflict and are trying to bring this conflict to an end.”
