Trump, Putin to discuss Russia-Ukraine war in historic summit

President Donald Trump is preparing to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday afternoon in Anchorage, Alaska. The two world leaders are expected to hold discussions on the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine.

The White House shared a video on Friday morning of the president boarding Air Force One on his way to meet with Putin in Alaska. According to CNN, the meeting between Trump and Putin is expected to take place at roughly 3 p.m. 

Fox News reported that the highly anticipated meeting between Trump and Putin marks the first summit between U.S. and Russian leaders since June of 2021. The outlet noted that the 2021 summit occurred eight months prior to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine under former President Joe Biden’s administration.

According to Fox News, Trump has indicated that Friday’s meeting with Putin will be a “feel-out meeting” and has emphasized the importance of pushing for a ceasefire in Ukraine. The president suggested that he would likely know in the first “two minutes” of Friday’s meeting if Putin was willing to pursue peace.

Trump addressed his plans for Friday’s meeting earlier this week, telling reporters, “I’m not going to make a deal. It’s not up to me to make a deal I think a deal should be made for both [Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky].”

“I’d like to see a ceasefire,” Trump added. “I’d like to see the best deal that could be made for both parties. You know, it takes two to tango.”

During a Friday press gaggle on Air Force One, Trump was asked about the difference between his phone calls with Putin and a face-to-face meeting with the Russian president. In response, Trump said, “Look, he’s a smart guy. Been doing it for a long time, but so have I. I’ve been doing it for a long time, and here we are: We’re president.”

“We get along. There’s a good respect level on both sides, and I think, you know, something’s going to come of it,” Trump added.