Trump confirms Alaska meeting with Putin as Ukraine deadline passe

The long-discussed meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin is now officially on the calendar, following weeks of uncertainty over whether the summit would happen.

On Thursday, Putin signaled his readiness to meet Trump as soon as next week, with the United Arab Emirates floated as a possible host. But on Friday, Trump announced the talks will take place in Alaska on Friday, August 15, 2025. The confirmation came via a social media post in which Trump called it a “highly anticipated meeting” and promised further details soon.

The timing coincides with a White House deadline for Moscow to demonstrate progress toward ending the three-year-old war in Ukraine or face additional US sanctions. Asked about the deadline a day earlier, Trump said: “It’s going to be up to him. We’ll see what he has to say. Very disappointed.”

Trump had initially insisted any meeting with Putin must include Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, but he has since dropped that condition, saying: “No, he doesn’t.”

A White House official previously told the Associated Press that a US-Russia summit would be unlikely without Putin agreeing to meet Zelenskyy, though the stance was later softened.

Putin has stated he is not opposed to meeting Zelenskyy but argues that “certain conditions” need to be met first. “Unfortunately, we are still far from creating such conditions,” he said.

Trump has repeatedly claimed he could end the Ukraine war “in a single day,” and securing an agreement in Alaska could mark a significant milestone toward that promise.