U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are set to convene today at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, for a critical summit aimed at brokering a ceasefire in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.

The meeting, described as a high-stakes diplomatic effort, marks the first face-to-face encounter between the two leaders since Trump’s return to the White House in January 2025. Notably absent from the talks is Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, raising concerns among Ukraine and its European allies about the direction of negotiations.

Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, President Trump expressed optimism about the summit, framing it as a preliminary step toward broader peace talks. “We have a meeting with President Putin tomorrow. I think it’s going to be a good meeting, but the more important meeting will be the second meeting that we’re having,” Trump said. He hinted at a potential follow-up summit that would include Zelenskyy, himself, and possibly European leaders, though he left open the possibility of excluding them. “We’re going to have a meeting with President Putin, President Zelenskyy, myself, and maybe we’ll bring some of the European leaders, maybe not,” he added.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, en route to Alaska, made a brief stopover in Magadan, a port town in Russia’s far east, where he met with regional governor Sergey Nosov, according to Russian media reports. The choice of Alaska as the summit venue carries symbolic weight, given its historical ties to Russia and its proximity across the Bering Strait, underscoring the geopolitical significance of the talks.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking at an unrelated event at the State Department on Thursday, provided insight into the summit’s objectives. “They’re going very fast because this was put together very quickly, and it’s in Alaska, so we’ve got to get there,” Rubio said. He emphasized the urgency of achieving a ceasefire, describing it as “critical” to halting the violence and creating space for discussions on complex issues like security guarantees and territorial disputes. “I think we all recognize that there’ll have to be some conversation about security guarantees. There’ll have to be some conversation about, you know, territorial disputes and claims and what they’re fighting over,” Rubio noted. However, he stressed that any lasting peace agreement would ultimately depend on Ukraine and Russia reaching a mutual accord.

The exclusion of Ukraine from today’s summit has sparked significant backlash in Kyiv and among European allies, who fear that a bilateral U.S.-Russia deal could sideline Ukraine’s interests and pressure it into unfavorable concessions, such as territorial swaps. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has firmly rejected any proposals involving the surrender of Ukrainian land, insisting that peace must uphold Ukraine’s territorial integrity. European leaders, including UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, have echoed these concerns, with Starmer emphasizing that “international borders cannot be, and must not be, changed by force.”

The summit follows months of diplomatic efforts by the Trump administration, including a surprise phone call between Trump and Putin in February and meetings between Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Saudi Arabia. Despite these efforts, expectations for a breakthrough remain low, with the White House describing the meeting as a “listening exercise” to gauge Putin’s willingness to negotiate. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov downplayed prospects for immediate results, noting that no documents are expected to be signed.

As Russian forces continue to occupy roughly one-fifth of Ukraine’s territory, the stakes for the Alaska summit are immense. Trump has positioned the talks as part of his broader ambition to end the war swiftly, potentially bolstering his legacy as a global peacemaker. However, analysts warn that Putin’s battlefield gains and demands—including control over eastern Ukrainian regions and restrictions on Ukraine’s NATO aspirations—could complicate negotiations.

The international community, particularly Ukraine and its European allies, will be closely watching the outcomes of today’s summit, which could reshape the trajectory of the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the broader European security landscape. (ILKHA)