Trump tries to turn the page on Ukraine war with historic Putin summit in Alaska

U.S. Chairperson Donald ruff testament encounter with his Russian opposite number in Alaska Friday for their first face-to-face meeting in six years as the American leader tries to bring the violent war in Ukraine to a close.

Trump famously promised on the campaign trail to settle the Russia-Ukraine conflict within 24 hours of his return to office — a quip he later said was made "in jest" as it became apparent there was no easy way to stop the hostilities.

This meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin is Trump's attempt to make good on that commitment to stop the fighting once and for all, although foreign policy experts doubt anything meaningful will be announced after a single meeting.

Trump is also downplaying expectations. On Thursday, he said there will be at least one more meeting — between him, Putin and possibly Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy — before there's a resolution, if there is one.

Zelenskyy wants an unconditional ceasefire.

Of Friday's meeting, Trump said he "does know that we're going to get an immediate" downing of weapons when it's over.

Zelenskyy, Starmer meet ahead of Trump, Putin summit in Alaska

Still, there's always the possibility of a breakthrough given the U.S. President's approach to diplomacy. Trump has threatened what he calls "severe consequences" if Russia doesn't agree to end the fighting.

"I think he's going to make a deal," Trump said of Putin in a Fox News radio interview. He added that if the meeting went well, he would call Zelenskyy and European leaders afterward to hash out the terms.

Later on Thursday, Trump said it's "a big meeting" and "we're going to save a lot of lives" if things go well. "All I want to do is set the table for the next meeting," he said.

Putin himself said the U.S. Was "making, in my opinion, quite energetic and sincere efforts to stop the hostilities, stop the crisis and reach agreements that are of interest to all parties involved in this conflict."

This was happening, Putin said, "in order to create long-term conditions for peace between our countries, and in Europe, and in the world as a whole — if, by the next stages, we reach agreements in the area of control over strategic offensive weapons."

His comments signalled that Russia will raise nuclear arms control as part of a wide-ranging discussion on security when he sits down with the U.S. President.

What's clear is that Trump is growing weary of the years-long conflict that has claimed the lives of thousands of soldiers and civilians.

Russia's full-scale invasion was launched in February 2022. Russia controls about 20 per cent of Ukrainian territory, based on the latest Western estimates, and it is advancing in the country's east but very slowly.

"This was Biden's war — this wasn't my war — I want to see if we can stop the killing," Trump told reporters Thursday.

Trump has been hostile to Ukraine at times as he pushes for a swift resolution to the war but despite some of his tough talk, he has largely maintained U.S. Military support and anti-Russia sanctions.

Still, Trump's desire to end things quickly is a concern for Ukraine and its European allies, said Michael Carpenter, a former senior director for Europe at the National Security Council under former U.S. President Joe Biden.

Carpenter expects Putin will show up with a list of "maximalist demands" — like forcing Ukraine to cede some oblasts currently under Russian control, urging American support for limiting the Ukrainian military's capabilities and a commitment to not expand the NATO military alliance beyond its current borders.

All would be deeply unpalatable options for Zelenskyy.

"The Europeans are absolutely scared stiff Trump will sell out Ukraine, that he will agree to Putin's terms," Carpenter said in an interview.

Trump himself said the meetings with Putin may include talk of land swaps. The second get-together will be "where they make a deal," he said of the Russian leader and Zelenskyy.

"And I don't want to use the word divvy things up, but you know to a certain extent, it's not a bad term, OK?" he said.

At this stage, territorial swaps are a non-starter for the Ukrainians.

Carpenter said Trump's decision to hold a meeting with Putin on American soil — with no clear plan for peace — gives the Russian president undeserved recognition.

"It's unlikely that the summit is actually going to produce any substantive outcome other than this legitimation of Putin in the eyes of many Americans," he said.

"Putin's an indicted war criminal who has been isolated by much of the Western world and yet he's the big winner from this summit in Alaska because he gets a platform on the world stage."

Senior reporter

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