U.S. President Donald Trump will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday for their first face-to-face talks since Trump returned to the White House in January, with the war in Ukraine set to dominate discussions.
The meeting, announced jointly by the White House and Kremlin after U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff’s visit to Moscow last week, will not include Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. His exclusion has sparked concern in Kyiv and among European leaders over potential negotiations on Ukraine’s future without its direct involvement.
“Out of respect, I’ll call him first,” Trump said of Zelenskyy, while stressing the talks would serve as an opportunity to gauge Putin’s willingness to end the conflict.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt described the meeting as a “listening exercise,” noting that only one party to the conflict would be present. “Sitting face to face, rather than speaking over the phone, will give the president the clearest indication of where this war is headed,” she said.
Moscow has offered little comment on the planned talks. Earlier this year, Trump said he was “very angry” with Putin and warned of economic sanctions if ceasefire negotiations failed.
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