President Donald Trump announced on Friday that he will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin next week in Alaska.
Trump shared the ground-breaking statement via his Truth Social social media platform where he described the meeting as ‘highly anticipated,’ though few details were provided.
The summit would be the first face-to-face meeting between the two world leaders since Russia invaded neighboring Ukraine in 2022 under President Joe Biden.
‘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,’ Trump wrote.
‘Further details to follow. Thank you for your attention to this matter!’
The soon-to-be meeting also marks the first time Putin – or any Russian leader – has visited the U.S. since 2015 meeting when Putin met with then-President Barack Obama at the UN General Assembly Meeting in New York City on September 28, 2015.
The surprise announcement comes just one day after the U.S. deadline for Russia to commit to peace talks expired.
Trump’s statement also follows reports from several U.S. outlets citing a White House official, who indicated that any potential meeting with the Russian leader would be contingent on his willingness to engage directly with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
However, when pressed by reporters for clarification, the U.S. President stated that a meeting between Putin and Zelensky would not be a prerequisite for the planned U.S.-Russia talks to move forward.
The U.S. leader is continuing to seek a diplomatic end to the war in Ukraine – and is threatening economic sanctions if Putin continues to snub Volodymyr Zelensky.
If the U.S. missed the peace talk deadline, the nation would have been expected to levy secondary tariffs targeting Russia’s key allies India and China. In anticipation of those surcharges, India last night announced it was suspending its orders for Russian oil.
The move would deprive the Kremlin of billions in oil revenues to bankroll its occupation and bombardment of Ukraine.
When asked about the deadline, Trump said it was ‘up to’ Putin.
‘It’s going to be up to him [Putin]. We’re going to see what he has to say. It’s going to be up to him. Very disappointed.’
Posting on X, President Zelensky said a ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia was still at the forefront of negotiations.
He said: ‘We remain mindful of the need for a real ceasefire. Ukraine is ready for it and there has been no clear public response from Russia yet.’
This is a breaking news story.
