US President Trump and Russian President Putin are set to meet this Friday in Anchorage, Alaska to discuss a potential pathway for ceasefire in Ukraine.

Despite this being Putin’s first meeting with a US President since 2021, the White House has managed expectations for the summit, claiming the meeting is a “listening exercise” for Trump.

The Alaskan Summit has received criticism for excluding the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy from the talks.

Zelenskyy has rejected Russian plans for conceding territory in return for a ceasefire. He claims territorial changes are a constitutional matter and would require a referendum to authorise. Furthermore, there are concerns that Russia would use gained territory as a springboard to launch a fresh invasion of Ukraine in the future.

Russia occupies 70% of the Donbas region, and is demanding full control of the region in exchange for a peace deal. Currently Russian forces occupy almost 20% of Ukraine.

Image: Image: Shutterstock – Miss Cabul

Produced By: George Pople

Featured In Story: Dr Sonia Mycak – Centre of European Studies, ANU, and

First aired on The Wire, Wednesday 13 August 2025