Donald Trump has announced his “highly anticipated” meeting with Vladimir Putin will take place next Friday in the US state of Alaska.
The two presidents are expected to discuss the war in Ukraine with the talks potentially leading to a breakthrough in Mr Trump’s effort to end the conflict.
However there’s no guarantee it will stop the fighting since Moscow and Kyiv remain far apart on their conditions for peace.
Earlier, the US president told reporters “we’re getting very close to a deal” that would end the war.
Mr Trump added there will be “some swapping of territories to the betterment of both sides”.
Follow latest: Ukraine war live updates
The meeting between the two leaders will be the first US-Russia summit since 2021, when former US President Joe Biden met with Mr Putin in Geneva, Switzerland.
Announcing the location and date of his meeting with the Russian president, Mr Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform: “The highly anticipated meeting between myself, as President of the United States of America, and President Vladimir Putin, of Russia, will take place next Friday, August 15, 2025, in the Great State of Alaska. Further details to follow. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
There has been no immediate confirmation of the time and location of the meeting from Moscow.
Earlier on Friday, Mr Trump told reporters at the White House that he couldn’t announce where or when the meeting would take place but he would do so soon.
He also suggested that his meeting with the Russian leader could come before any sit-down discussion involving Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
“We’re going to have a meeting with Russia, start off with Russia. And we’ll announce a location. I think the location will be a very popular one,” Mr Trump said.
Mr Trump said at the White House earlier: “President Putin, I believe, wants to see peace, and Zelenskyy wants to see peace… In all fairness to President Zelenskyy, he’s getting everything he needs to, assuming we get something done.”
Read more:
Russia reacts to Trump talks plan
JD Vance raises concerns about free speech in UK
Territory to form part of talks
Speaking about the role that territory will play in the peace talks, Mr Trump said: “You’re looking at a territory that’s been fought over for three and a half years. A lot of Russians have died. A lot of Ukrainians have died.
“So we’re looking at that, but we’re actually looking to get some back, and some swapping.
“It’s complicated, actually. Nothing is easy. It’s very complicated. But we’re going to get some back.
“We’re going to get some switched. There’ll be some swapping of territories to the betterment of both.”
Analysts, including some close to the Kremlin, have suggested that Russia could offer to give up territory it controls outside of the four regions it claims to have annexed.
Pressed on if this was the last chance to make a major peace deal, Mr Trump said: “I don’t like using the term last chance… When those guns start going off, it’s awfully tough to get them to stop.”
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Trump says he will meet Putin
Western officials ‘to meet in UK’
Senior officials from the US, Ukraine and several European countries are due to meet in the UK this weekend to try and reach common positions ahead of the Trump-Putin meeting, three sources have told the American news site Axios.
Ukraine and several NATO allies are reported to be privately concerned Mr Trump might agree to Mr Putin’s proposals for ending the war without taking their positions into consideration.
Since his return to the White House in January, Mr Trump has moved to mend relations with Russia and sought to end the war.
In his public comments he has veered between admiration and sharp criticism of Putin.
In a sign of his growing frustration with Putin’s refusal to halt Russia’s military offensive, Mr Trump had threatened to impose new sanctions and tariffs from Friday against Moscow and countries that buy its exports unless the Russian leader agreed to end the 3-1/2 year conflict, the deadliest in Europe since World War Two.
It was unclear by Friday evening whether those sanctions would take effect or will be delayed or cancelled.
War grinds on ahead of talks
Russia’s bigger army is slowly advancing deeper into Ukraine at great cost in troops and armour while it relentlessly bombards Ukrainian cities.
Russia and Ukraine are far apart on their terms for peace.
Ukrainian forces are locked in intense battles along the 620-mile front line that snakes from north-east to south-east Ukraine.
The Pokrovsk area of the eastern Donetsk region is taking the brunt of punishment as Russia seeks to break out into the neighbouring Dnipropetrovsk region.
Ukraine has significant manpower shortages.
Intense fighting is also taking place in Ukraine’s northern Sumy border region, where Ukrainian forces are engaging Russian soldiers to prevent reinforcements being sent from there to Donetsk.
