Inside the Trump-Putin Talks That Could Reshape the Ukraine War

(The Post News)- United States President Donald Trump will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday in Anchorage, Alaska. It will be their first face-to-face meeting since Trump's return to the White House. The high-stakes summit aims to secure a ceasefire in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war. It is scheduled for 11:30 A.M. (19:30 GMT) at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, marking the first visit by a Russian leader to the U.S. in a decade and the first ever to Alaska. A Symbolic Setting The Cold War-era airbase was built in 1940 to protect U.S. airspace from potential Soviet threats. Alaska, purchased from the Russian Empire in 1867, lies just across the Bering Strait from Russia. Ukrainian Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders will not attend. Their absence has fueled concern in Kyiv and across European capitals. Many fear Washington and Moscow could strike a deal without Ukraine's consent. Trump defended the decision, noting that Zelenskyy had attended “a lot of meetings” without progress toward peace. Still, Trump and Vice President JD Vance held a virtual call with Zelenskyy on Wednesday. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and other European leaders also joined. During the call, European officials urged Trump not to concede territory without Ukraine’s approval and to secure strong security guarantees for Kyiv. Russia’s Proposal Moscow’s latest offer demands that Ukraine abandon its NATO ambitions and scale back its military. It also calls for Ukraine to relinquish all of Donbas and drop claims to Russian-controlled Crimea. In addition, Russia seeks limited territorial swaps in Sumy and Kharkiv in exchange for giving up gains in Kherson and Zaporizhia. The Kremlin says it is willing to restore economic ties with the U.S. as part of a broader thaw. Zelenskyy has rejected these terms, saying it is “impossible under Ukrainian law” to hand land to “the occupier.” He insists any deal must restore Ukraine’s internationally recognized borders, preserve its right to join NATO, and impose tougher sanctions if Russia violates the agreement. For Trump, a ceasefire could be a political victory. It could strengthen his image as a dealmaker and even open the door to a Nobel Peace Prize nomination. For Putin, stepping onto U.S. soil for such talks is already a symbolic win, breaking years of Western attempts to isolate him. Expert Warnings and Battlefield Pressures Analysts are split on the summit’s prospects. Neil Melvin of the Royal United Services Institute warns it could be a Kremlin tactic to buy time, ease sanctions, and regroup militarily. Others believe Russia’s deepening economic troubles may push Putin toward compromise. The talks come as Russia claims new gains in Donetsk and Ukraine launches drone strikes inside Russia, including an attack on a Volgograd refinery. Some experts say Moscow’s intensified propaganda campaign is designed to pressure Kyiv into accepting unfavorable terms. Trump has threatened “very severe consequences” if Russia refuses a ceasefire, though he has not detailed what those measures would be. If Friday’s meeting shows progress, a follow-up summit, possibly with Zelenskyy present, could take place. Whether Anchorage becomes the site of Europe’s first major peace breakthrough in decades or simply another failed attempt will depend on what Trump and Putin decide behind closed doors.