The President of the United States Donald Trump announced an upcoming meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, which will be held on August 15 in Alaska. The diplomatic meeting aims to make progress in negotiations regarding the war in Ukraine, which has continued for more than two years.
An official Kremlin representative confirmed the meeting, describing the chosen location as "logical" given Alaska's geographical proximity to Russian territory. At the same time, an invitation was extended to Trump for a possible second summit in Russia.
During a statement at the White House, Trump hinted at a possible scenario in which Ukraine might be forced to cede certain territorial areas. "We are talking about territories that have been fought over for more than three and a half years, where many Russians and Ukrainians have died," the American president said.
According to CBS News information, the White House is working on a plan that includes handing over the entire Donbas region to Russia, as well as preserving the annexed Crimean peninsula. At the same time, Russia would need to withdraw from the occupied Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions.
The Wall Street Journal reported that a similar proposal had already been discussed between Putin and Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff during a recent meeting in Moscow. However, it remains unclear whether Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will agree to such territorial concessions.
Zelenskyy has categorically rejected any preconditions for territorial concessions. Currently, Russia occupies about 20% of Ukrainian territory without achieving a decisive military success.
Russian requirements include turning Ukraine into a neutral state, drastically reducing its military potential, renouncing Euro-Atlantic ambitions, and lifting Western sanctions. Moscow also insists on the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the four partially occupied regions.
However, Trump remains optimistic about the possibility of achieving a trilateral peace agreement. "European leaders want peace, President Putin, I believe, wants peace, and Zelenskyy wants peace," the American president told journalists.
Last month, Trump admitted to the BBC that he had thought four different times that a war-ending agreement was possible. He set a deadline of August 8, by which Russia must agree to a ceasefire, otherwise additional sanctions will be imposed.
The last meeting between an American president and his Russian counterpart took place in 2021, when Joe Biden met with Putin in Geneva, Switzerland. In the meantime, the two leaders had a telephone conversation in February this year - the first direct contact after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Diplomatic efforts continue, with the question remaining open as to whether the proposed format will be accepted by all parties to the conflict. The international community awaits with interest the outcome of the upcoming meeting in Alaska.