US President Donald Trump will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Saturday for a summit that could shape both the course of the war in Ukraine and the fate of European security .
For Trump, the face-to-face offers a stage to demonstrate his image as a skilled negotiator and peacemaker, a role he has long claimed he could play to quickly end the conflict. For Putin, it is a rare chance to push for a deal that locks in Russia’s war gains, keeps Ukraine out of Nato, and eventually draws Kyiv back into Moscow’s sphere of influence.
The meeting carries high risks for Trump. Hosting Putin on US soil gives the Russian leader the recognition he has sought since being shunned over the 2022 invasion. By leaving out Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Trump also deals a heavy blow to the West's policy of “nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine” and invites the possibility that he could agree to a deal that Ukraine does not want.
So, how will both leaders measure success from the summit?
Different goals for Trump and Putin
Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin will measure success at their summit in Alaska very differently, even as both leaders are looking toward a possible second meeting. The public expectation may be that both leaders are there to strike a breakthrough deal. But the reality is more complex, and for both leaders, "success" may not necessarily involve signing any formal agreement.
The US president sees any form of ceasefire in Ukraine as a key objective of the talks. For Putin, simply meeting Trump on American soil without making territorial concessions on the war is already a gain.
These are the contrasting stakes as both leaders head to Anchorage for their first summit since 2018 in Helsinki. This gap in objectives shows both the opportunities and risks for Trump. It also explains why the meeting is seen as a first step, with both sides already discussing the possibility of a second summit.
However, Putin has little reason to stop the fighting as Russia’s military continues to advance in Ukraine, but he also cannot risk alienating a president with whom he has maintained a long relationship.
Putin’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine started Europe’s largest war in 80 years and turned him into an international pariah. The summit gives him a chance to challenge the isolation imposed by the US and its G7 allies over his actions.
The venue itself — Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, a US military base — gives Putin a symbolic advantage, as it is on American soil.
The meeting also marks a departure from former US president Joe Biden’s approach of "nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine," a policy that ensured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy was part of any major talks.
While Trump spoke to Zelenskiy earlier this week, the one-on-one with Putin reflects his belief that he — and not Ukraine — is central to ending the conflict.
"Russia wants to continue to pursue its objectives, which are to dramatically weaken Ukraine and essentially undermine its independence and sovereignty," Richard Haass, a former senior State Department official, said in an interview, as quoted by Bloomberg. "So Russia sees negotiations not as an alternative to that, but as a means toward that end."
Lowered expectations
The White House has sought to play down expectations for the meeting. Trump has called it a "feel-out meeting," and White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt described it as "a listening exercise for the president."
Trump is already looking to a possible second summit involving Zelenskyy and European leaders, which he expects would be "more productive than the first." The Kremlin has invited Trump to visit Russia next.
This is a change from Trump’s earlier claim on the campaign trail that he could end the war within a day of taking office. In May, US secretary of state Marco Rubio said it was "abundantly clear" that a breakthrough was only possible with the involvement of Trump and Putin.
One possible outcome could be an agreement to halt the fighting temporarily or partially, such as stopping Russian air strikes. Trump could also back Putin’s proposal to take Ukrainian territory already under Russian control. It is also possible that no agreement will be reached, similar to Trump’s 2019 talks with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un, which ended without a deal.
For Putin, the meeting is an opportunity to exploit divisions between the US and Europe and seek relief from sanctions that have slowed Russia’s economy.
Who else is attending?
Putin will be accompanied by foreign minister Sergei Lavrov, along with Russia’s defense and finance ministers, suggesting a focus on possible economic cooperation — an area Trump is interested in.
The two leaders are expected to meet alone before joining their delegations for lunch. A joint press conference will follow. This raises the possibility of a repeat of the 2018 Helsinki news conference, where Trump sided with Putin over US intelligence assessments on Russian interference in the 2016 election — a situation Trump will aim to avoid.
Ahead of the summit, Trump told European leaders that he would not negotiate new borders for Ukraine and would push for direct talks between Putin and Zelenskiy. He also indicated support for security guarantees for Ukraine.
For Trump, the face-to-face offers a stage to demonstrate his image as a skilled negotiator and peacemaker, a role he has long claimed he could play to quickly end the conflict. For Putin, it is a rare chance to push for a deal that locks in Russia’s war gains, keeps Ukraine out of Nato, and eventually draws Kyiv back into Moscow’s sphere of influence.
The meeting carries high risks for Trump. Hosting Putin on US soil gives the Russian leader the recognition he has sought since being shunned over the 2022 invasion. By leaving out Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Trump also deals a heavy blow to the West's policy of “nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine” and invites the possibility that he could agree to a deal that Ukraine does not want.
So, how will both leaders measure success from the summit?
Different goals for Trump and Putin
Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin will measure success at their summit in Alaska very differently, even as both leaders are looking toward a possible second meeting. The public expectation may be that both leaders are there to strike a breakthrough deal. But the reality is more complex, and for both leaders, "success" may not necessarily involve signing any formal agreement.
The US president sees any form of ceasefire in Ukraine as a key objective of the talks. For Putin, simply meeting Trump on American soil without making territorial concessions on the war is already a gain.
These are the contrasting stakes as both leaders head to Anchorage for their first summit since 2018 in Helsinki. This gap in objectives shows both the opportunities and risks for Trump. It also explains why the meeting is seen as a first step, with both sides already discussing the possibility of a second summit.
However, Putin has little reason to stop the fighting as Russia’s military continues to advance in Ukraine, but he also cannot risk alienating a president with whom he has maintained a long relationship.
Putin’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine started Europe’s largest war in 80 years and turned him into an international pariah. The summit gives him a chance to challenge the isolation imposed by the US and its G7 allies over his actions.
The venue itself — Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, a US military base — gives Putin a symbolic advantage, as it is on American soil.
The meeting also marks a departure from former US president Joe Biden’s approach of "nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine," a policy that ensured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy was part of any major talks.
While Trump spoke to Zelenskiy earlier this week, the one-on-one with Putin reflects his belief that he — and not Ukraine — is central to ending the conflict.
"Russia wants to continue to pursue its objectives, which are to dramatically weaken Ukraine and essentially undermine its independence and sovereignty," Richard Haass, a former senior State Department official, said in an interview, as quoted by Bloomberg. "So Russia sees negotiations not as an alternative to that, but as a means toward that end."
Lowered expectations
The White House has sought to play down expectations for the meeting. Trump has called it a "feel-out meeting," and White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt described it as "a listening exercise for the president."
Trump is already looking to a possible second summit involving Zelenskyy and European leaders, which he expects would be "more productive than the first." The Kremlin has invited Trump to visit Russia next.
This is a change from Trump’s earlier claim on the campaign trail that he could end the war within a day of taking office. In May, US secretary of state Marco Rubio said it was "abundantly clear" that a breakthrough was only possible with the involvement of Trump and Putin.
One possible outcome could be an agreement to halt the fighting temporarily or partially, such as stopping Russian air strikes. Trump could also back Putin’s proposal to take Ukrainian territory already under Russian control. It is also possible that no agreement will be reached, similar to Trump’s 2019 talks with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un, which ended without a deal.
For Putin, the meeting is an opportunity to exploit divisions between the US and Europe and seek relief from sanctions that have slowed Russia’s economy.
Who else is attending?
Putin will be accompanied by foreign minister Sergei Lavrov, along with Russia’s defense and finance ministers, suggesting a focus on possible economic cooperation — an area Trump is interested in.
The two leaders are expected to meet alone before joining their delegations for lunch. A joint press conference will follow. This raises the possibility of a repeat of the 2018 Helsinki news conference, where Trump sided with Putin over US intelligence assessments on Russian interference in the 2016 election — a situation Trump will aim to avoid.
Ahead of the summit, Trump told European leaders that he would not negotiate new borders for Ukraine and would push for direct talks between Putin and Zelenskiy. He also indicated support for security guarantees for Ukraine.
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