U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin are set to hold a high-profile meeting on August 15 at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, CNN reported, citing White House sources. The location, just outside the city, was chosen after lengthy negotiations between Washington and Moscow, with both sides concluding that the U.S. military base offered the necessary security for the encounter. The White House had initially sought to avoid hosting the Russian delegation on U.S. military grounds, but alternatives proved difficult. European venues such as Vienna or Geneva were rejected by Russia due to the International Criminal Court’s war crimes warrant for Putin issued in 2023, while a proposal from Putin to meet in the UAE was not favored by U.S. officials following Trump’s recent trip to the Middle East. In the end, the choice narrowed to Alaska and Hungary, with Putin agreeing to meet on U.S. soil - land that was once part of the Russian Empire.

Trump welcomed the decision, calling it “very respectful” that the Russian president would travel to the United States instead of meeting in Russia or a neutral country. The meeting will be their first face-to-face since Trump took office in January, and Putin’s first visit to the U.S. in a decade. According to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, the summit will be a “listening exercise” for Trump - intended to gauge Russia’s position rather than produce immediate agreements. She added that one-on-one talks between the two leaders are planned. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stressed that the meeting should not be viewed as a concession or a win for Moscow, but as an opportunity for Trump to assess Putin personally. Rubio noted that the president had been dissatisfied with previous phone calls and believes in making decisions after meeting counterparts “eye-to-eye,” describing Trump as a skilled negotiator whose in-person instincts have proven effective in past deals.

Rubio cautioned that the discussions would be difficult, given Putin’s strong personal investment in the war against Ukraine. CNN reported that Trump has informed Ukrainian and European leaders that Moscow may consider negotiations if territorial exchanges are included. A source from the Ukrainian Presidential Office told the Kyiv Independent that the Kremlin’s proposal would involve Kyiv relinquishing control over the partially occupied Donetsk and Luhansk regions in return for Russian withdrawal from parts of Sumy and Kharkiv oblasts. However, Putin has also demanded Ukraine’s retreat from occupied areas of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia and a formal ban on NATO membership - conditions echoed in previous negotiation rounds in Istanbul in May and on July 3.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has firmly rejected any new territorial concessions, insisting instead on a ceasefire as the opening step to talks - a position backed by European partners. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has stressed that any U.S.–Russia agreement must involve both Ukraine and the EU, warning against a deal that could embolden further Russian aggression toward Ukraine, NATO, or Europe. Two days before the Alaska summit, on August 13, Zelensky is scheduled to hold an online meeting with Trump and European leaders to coordinate positions ahead of the talks.