(NewsNation) — The world is watching as Presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin make their way to Alaska for a high-stakes summit regarding Russia’s three-year war in Ukraine.
Trump has said the goal of the meeting is to get Putin to commit to stopping the fighting, but he was unsure whether Friday’s face-to-face talk in Anchorage would lead to a ceasefire. On Thursday, he said there is a “25% chance” the summit won’t be successful.
Both leaders and their representatives are set to meet at 3:30 p.m. EDT at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, a U.S. military installation located roughly equidistant — about 4,300 miles — from Moscow and Washington, D.C.
Trump, who is expected to be accompanied by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff, said Friday’s meeting, depending on its outcome, may lead to a second meeting that includes Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
While Trump seemed to be scaling back hopes for Friday’s meeting, Russian officials have remained tight-lipped about their expectations.
“We never make predictions in advance. We know we have arguments and a clear, well-defined position. We will present it. A lot has already been done during Steven Witkoff’s visits … I hope that today, tomorrow, we will continue this very useful conversation,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in a statement.
Friday’s meeting marks the first time Putin has stepped on U.S. soil in nearly 10 years.
Ukraine on sidelines of Trump-Putin meeting
Although Ukraine is on the outside looking in for Friday’s talks, Zelenskyy has reiterated the U.S. must not reward Russia for its invasion of Ukraine — and emphasized his country will not part ways with any territory.
“There’s no doubt in my mind that Zelensky understands that territorial concessions may be required to get a durable peace,” said John Herbst, senior director of the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center and a former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine.
Zelenskyy also expressed fears that Putin is attempting to deceive Trump and is using the trip as a photo-op. In the lead-up to Friday’s peace talks, Putin and other Russian officials have maintained their demands, which include Ukraine ceding territory and demilitarizing.
NewsNation’s Anna Kutz and Damita Menezes contributed to this report.
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Author: Robert Sherman
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