US President Donald Trump is set to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin this coming Friday.
The talks between Trump and Putin, aimed at ending the war in Ukraine, will take place at the largest U.S. military base in Alaska — Joint Base Elmendorf–Richardson, located in Anchorage.
Ukraine, a main party in the war, has not been included in the meeting. According to The New York Times, it was Russia and President Putin who refused to allow Ukraine’s participation.
The White House had already issued a statement saying Trump was open to a trilateral meeting as well.
With President Zelensky not participating, Ukraine and Europe remain doubtful about what kind of agreements for a ceasefire might emerge.
Trump has previously stated that both countries may have to gain and lose small territories, adding that Ukraine might end up losing a considerable amount of land.
Initially, Trump tried to woo Putin, praising him in an effort to secure a ceasefire. But when Putin showed no interest in halting the war, Trump threatened to raise tariffs on Russia and impose various sanctions. Even then, with Russia unmoved, Trump sent his Middle East envoy to Moscow to meet Putin.
After three hours of discussions at the Kremlin, a summit between Putin and Trump was agreed upon.
Ukraine and Europe also fear that Trump might make a deal that benefits Russia. For this reason, European leaders are preparing to unite and put pressure on him.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, along with European leaders close to Trump, is set to hold a joint virtual meeting with the U.S. president this Wednesday. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will also take part in the virtual meeting.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, top leaders from Poland and Finland, and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte will also join the talks. U.S. Vice President JD Vance will participate as well.
According to The New York Times, they have adopted a strategy to prevent Trump from making unilateral decisions regarding Ukraine.
The European leaders have urged Trump not to conclude any peace agreement with Putin that ignores Zelensky or European allies. They emphasized that peace negotiations should begin with a complete ceasefire and that no military deal should be implemented without Europe’s approval.
European leaders have stated that no agreement can be made on borders with Russia before a ceasefire. According to The New York Times, they are unwilling to give up any Ukrainian territory that is not currently under Russian control.
They also have another concern:
If peace talks take place in a way that disadvantages Ukraine and Europe, Putin could exert further pressure on Western Europe. German analyst Anna Sauerbrey has warned that this could put NATO members such as Lithuania at risk.
European leaders have said that Ukraine’s security is impossible without U.S. military and intelligence support. Even after a ceasefire, they want guarantees that Russia will not resume its attacks.
With all these issues in mind, European leaders are preparing to pressure Trump to take Ukraine’s side.
Why Alaska instead of Dubai for the Trump–Putin meeting?
After more than three and a half years of the Russia–Ukraine war, the meeting between Trump and Putin is being seen as a potential turning point toward peace.
The meeting was arranged a week ago after Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, visited the Kremlin. Last Wednesday, Witkoff held three hours of talks with Putin. The details of those talks have not been made public, but they became the basis for a direct Trump–Putin meeting.
Following the visit, Trump announced that he would meet Putin within a week, later specifying Alaska as the location. He also said he wanted a trilateral meeting including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, though for now, both the White House and the Kremlin have confirmed only a bilateral meeting between Trump and Putin.
The White House said the bilateral format was chosen at Putin’s request, while noting that Trump was still open to a trilateral format. Zelensky has repeatedly stated that a ceasefire is impossible if a country at war is bypassed in talks, and has said Ukraine will reject any deal that compromises its sovereignty or territorial integrity.
European leaders also fear Trump might make a deal that benefits Russia. They have jointly issued a statement urging him not to agree to any ceasefire that disadvantages Ukraine or Europe, and to ensure Ukraine’s participation in the talks. However, Zelensky’s absence now seems almost certain. CNN reports that Trump has a virtual meeting scheduled with European leaders today.
CNN has also revealed why Alaska was chosen over Dubai. According to its reporting, there was a lengthy and secretive process to select the summit location. Putin initially preferred Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, calling it the most suitable site, but the White House disagreed.
Trump had visited the Middle East, including the UAE, in May, and reportedly did not want to return there so soon. Distance and security concerns were also factors.
In the past, U.S.–Russia talks have often been held in European cities such as Geneva or Vienna, but these were ruled out this time because they are considered unsafe for Putin. In 2023, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for him on war crimes charges, meaning he could face legal risk in any European country.
This left two options: Hungary or the United States. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is close to both Trump and Putin. After the Alaska meeting was confirmed, Orbán said it meant Russia had already won the war in Ukraine and blamed the Biden administration for not pushing for a ceasefire earlier.
The U.S. preferred to host the summit on its own soil, which Trump saw as sending a message of diplomatic strength. Surprisingly, Putin agreed.
Even within the U.S., settling on Alaska took long discussions. The choice had symbolic significance — Alaska was once part of the Russian Empire before being sold to the U.S. in 1867 for $7.2 million during President Andrew Johnson’s administration.
Finding a suitable site in Alaska was still difficult due to the summer tourist season, which limited available venues meeting both lodging and security requirements. In the end, Joint Base Elmendorf–Richardson in Anchorage was deemed the only viable location, and preparations are now underway to host Putin and his delegation there.
CNN concludes that a mix of factors — Putin’s preference for Dubai, legal risks in Europe, the U.S. desire to avoid the Middle East, and Alaska’s historic and symbolic value — ultimately made Alaska the stage for the Trump–Putin summit.
