Trump, Putin to meet in Alaska on August 15

New Delhi, Aug 09: In a move that could redefine the course of the Russia-Ukraine war, US President Donald Trump will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska next Friday, 15 August, for their first face-to-face talks in six years, the BBC and international media reports. The summit comes after Moscow ignored Trump’s deadline to accept a ceasefire, and amid proposals that could see Ukraine surrender territory to Russia.

Announcing the meeting on social media, US President Donald Trump called it “highly anticipated” and hinted at “some swapping of territories… to the betterment of both.” BBC quoting CBS News says the White House’s draft plan would formalise Russian control of some occupied areas. Kyiv has yet to respond, while Europe has been left off the guest list.

The Kremlin confirmed Putin’s trip to US soil, noting it would be his first such visit since relations collapsed over the annexation of Crimea in 2014. Aides say Russia has already invited Donald Trump to Moscow for follow-up talks.

The Alaska summit caps months of quiet diplomacy: an initial call in February, ministerial meetings in Saudi Arabia, peace framework discussions in March, multiple visits to Moscow by Trump envoy Steve Witkoff, and trilateral talks in Turkey.

The ceasefire deadline expired on 8 August, triggering Trump’s announcement. Alaska has hosted high-stakes diplomacy before, including US–China exchanges in 2021. All eyes will be on this meeting with one question: will it reshape global security?