US President Donald Trump has confirmed that he will meet with Russian leader Vladimir Putin on 15 August 2025 in Alaska. The announcement, made on Truth Social, described the meeting as “highly anticipated” and promised further details soon. Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov told Russian media that preparations were underway, adding that Alaska was a logical choice given the geographical proximity of the two countries.

The summit follows Trump’s 8 August statement that a peace deal on the Russia-Ukraine war should involve “some swapping of territories.” Speaking at a White House briefing, he suggested a territorial exchange could benefit both sides, given the heavy losses endured over the past three and a half years. Trump said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky would need to be ready to sign an agreement and hinted at the possibility of a trilateral meeting with Putin and Zelensky. He argued that without US intervention, the conflict could have escalated into a world war.

Reports by NBC News and The Wall Street Journal indicate that the planned talks have been in preparation for days. According to WSJ, Putin told Trump’s Special Envoy, Steve Witkoff, that Russia would halt hostilities if Ukraine ceded the entirety of Donetsk Oblast and recognised Russian control over Donetsk, Luhansk and Crimea. European and Ukrainian officials briefed on the proposal voiced concern, warning it lacked concrete commitments from Moscow and could be a tactic to avoid new US sanctions without ending the war.

Witkoff reportedly outlined a two-stage process: first, Ukraine would withdraw from Donetsk and the front line would be frozen; second, a final peace deal would be agreed between Trump and Putin, then discussed with Zelensky. Ukrainian officials have stressed that constitutional constraints would require a referendum on any territorial concessions. The Russian plan does not address security guarantees for Ukraine or its NATO aspirations, but Putin has suggested legislation pledging no further attacks on Ukraine or Europe, a proposal met with EU scepticism.

CBS News, citing a senior White House official, reported that Zelensky could still join the Alaska summit, though final arrangements are pending. Initially, the White House had said Trump was open to meeting both leaders, but on 8 August, he suggested he might first meet with Putin alone.

Meanwhile, Axios reported that senior officials from the US, Ukraine and several European states will meet in the UK this weekend to coordinate their positions ahead of the summit. The plan emerged during a 8 August video conference between the parties, amid concerns that Trump could accept Putin’s terms without accommodating allied interests. Sources said Putin might be prepared to relinquish claims to partially occupied areas of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, though Witkoff later clarified that Moscow only intended to freeze its positions there. Ukrainian representatives also said they lacked clarity on the specifics of the Russian offer and the US stance.

The Trump–Putin meeting is confirmed for 15 August in Alaska, with both governments acknowledging the date and location.