Trump announces imminent meeting with Putin in Alaska, talks to end Ukraine war with territorial swap
United States President Donald Trump announced on Friday, August 8, 2025, that he will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska next week, on August 15, to discuss ending the war in Ukraine, which has been ongoing since February 2022.
The meeting will be the first official meeting between the US and Russian leaders since 2021 and comes after previous attempts to mediate between Moscow and Kiev failed.
He also emphasized that the end of the war would likely involve a territorial exchange, saying: “We are looking to return some territories, some will be transferred; it is a complicated issue but it will be in the interest of both sides.”
According to the Wall Street Journal, Putin has offered a ceasefire in recent talks with Trump’s special envoy, Steve Vitkov, in exchange for the cession of the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine, including Donetsk and Luhansk, and recognition of Russia’s annexation of Crimea.
