White House: Trump to meet Putin in Anchorage, Alaska, to listen to the Russian dictator.

“This is an exercise in careful listening for President Trump”, said White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, noting that the talks may not produce immediate results and that the one-on-one discussions are “part of the plan”. The Trump administration is describing the meeting as a breakthrough in the peace process, though Ukrainian and European officials remain cautious of talks that do not include Kyiv or Europe. The meeting will take place at a US military facility, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the summit should not be viewed as a “victory for Putin”. “For President Trump, a meeting is not a concession. A meeting is something you do to find out and make a decision”, Rubio said. In his view, it will be clear at the start of the meeting whether there is a chance of reaching an agreement.

Additionally, President Zelenskyy stressed that Trump’s talks with Putin are important, but discussing Ukraine without Ukraine’s involvement is impossible and no one will accept it. He also believes that a trilateral meeting of leaders will happen following the initial talks between Trump and Putin.