Former President Donald Trump announced that he will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin on August 15, 2025, in Alaska, marking a significant development in ongoing efforts to resolve the conflict in Ukraine. Trump made the announcement via his social media platform, Truth Social, stating the “highly anticipated meeting” will take place next Friday in the “Great State of Alaska,” with more details to be revealed soon.
This planned meeting underscores the Trump administration’s frustration over the continuing war between Russia and Ukraine, now more than three years since Russia’s invasion began in 2022. In the days leading to the announcement, Trump had set a deadline of August 8 for Putin to agree to a ceasefire, warning that failure to comply would result in economic sanctions on Russia and secondary sanctions on countries doing business with Russia. These include recently doubled tariffs on Indian imports, targeting India for continuing to buy Russian oil.
Although Trump has not disclosed the exact location within Alaska for the meeting, Alaska has significance in U.S.-Russia relations given its proximity to Russia’s eastern territories, which may enhance the symbolism of the summit. This will be Trump’s first visit to Alaska since his 2024 reelection, though he has traveled to the state previously — notably in 2019 as president and during campaign events.
Inside the U.S. government, there remains some fluidity over the summit’s format. A senior White House official acknowledged that planning is ongoing and indicated that a potential meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy might also take place. Trump himself suggested he would “start off with Russia,” expressing optimism about possibly organizing a trilateral meeting including Ukraine. Nonetheless, Trump has publicly criticized Zelenskyy, blaming delays in ceasefire talks partly on him and alleging that Zelenskyy’s refusal to cede Crimea extends the conflict.
This upcoming meeting will represent the first face-to-face dialogue between a U.S. and Russian leader since President Joe Biden’s 2021 summit in Switzerland with Putin, which occurred just months before Russia’s large-scale invasion of Ukraine. The talks come amid increasing international pressure for Russia to halt hostilities, with Western nations imposing sanctions and diplomatic efforts underway to broker peace.
Russian figures have responded skeptically to Trump’s ceasefire ultimatum. Dmitry Medvedev, former Russian president and current deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, dismissed these deadlines as threats that could escalate tensions rather than ease them.
Despite reservations, Trump’s agenda signals a renewed push to directly engage Putin in diplomatic negotiations in an attempt to bring about an end to the war. The outcome of the Alaska meeting could influence U.S. foreign policy and international relations surrounding the Ukraine conflict going forward.
This is a developing story. Further updates will be provided as more details emerge on the meeting’s location and agenda.