The location is symbolic – Alaska lies less than 90 kilometres from Russia across the Bering Strait – and Kremlin officials have described it as a “logical” venue for the long-awaited talks.
US President Donald Trump will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska next Friday, in what is being billed as a potential turning point towards ending the war in Ukraine. The summit, announced on Friday, could also determine the fate of Washington’s 25 per cent punitive tariff on Indian imports over New Delhi’s continued purchase of Russian oil.
Trump made the announcement on his Truth Social account, calling the August 15 meeting in “the Great State of Alaska” a “highly anticipated” encounter. The location is symbolic – Alaska lies less than 90 kilometres from Russia across the Bering Strait – and Kremlin officials have described it as a “logical” venue for the long-awaited talks.
The development follows three days of rapid diplomatic manoeuvres. On Thursday, Trump had expressed “very disappointed” feelings towards Putin, even as he hinted at progress in back-channel communications. Speaking to reporters, he said both Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky “want to see peace now,” and that “a lot of things happened recently that would make this go forward.” While he declined to comment directly on the punitive tariff targeting India, his remarks suggested that wider geopolitical considerations were at play.
Earlier in the week, Trump had cited India specifically while unveiling the 25 per cent tariff, a move widely seen as an attempt to cut Russia’s oil revenues by pushing New Delhi to reduce its imports. The measure, due to take effect on August 27, comes alongside threats of additional sanctions on Moscow and secondary tariffs against countries purchasing Russian energy. Friday had been set as the deadline for announcing those further sanctions, but Trump held back following confirmation of the Alaska meeting.
In preparation for the talks, Putin spoke with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday to brief him about discussions with the US on Ukraine. According to the Kremlin, the Russian leader shared “key outcomes” from his meeting with Trump’s special envoy, Steven Witkoff, in Moscow. India’s Ministry of External Affairs said Modi reiterated New Delhi’s “consistent position for peaceful resolution of the conflict.”
The groundwork for the summit was laid during Witkoff’s talks with Putin earlier this week. Trump later told reporters that the conversations had been “very good” and that there was “a very good chance” peace could be achieved soon. He hinted at a potential arrangement involving “swapping of territories to the betterment of both,” though he acknowledged that finalising a settlement would be difficult given Ukraine’s insistence on the inviolability of its borders.
Any deal would also need to address long-standing demands from both sides – Putin’s call for Ukraine never to join NATO, and Zelensky’s push for binding guarantees from the US or NATO that Russia will not resume hostilities. With three years of war, enormous casualties and widespread destruction, Zelensky faces the challenge of bringing his people behind any compromise. Trump noted that the Ukrainian leader was “working hard” to get what he needs “to sign something.”
The Alaska meeting will be closely watched not only for its potential to bring about a Ukraine ceasefire but also for its impact on broader global alignments – with India’s trade interests, US-Russia relations, and the West’s strategic posture all intertwined in the outcome.
