Urgent Alaska Summit: Trump and Putin Meet Over Ukraine Crisis

BREAKING: US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are meeting today in a high-stakes summit in Anchorage, Alaska, with the future of Ukraine hanging in the balance. This marks Putin’s first visit to the United States since 2015.

The hastily arranged talks, set to begin at 11:30 AM local time (8:30 PM Irish time), are seen as a critical step toward addressing the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. However, the absence of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy from the discussions raises doubts about their effectiveness. Analysts warn that without Ukraine’s direct involvement, the summit may yield little progress.

Trump announced this meeting just a week ago, promising a bold approach to diplomacy. Yet, as the summit approaches, the agenda remains unclear, leaving many to speculate on the potential outcomes. The meeting will take place at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson and will include a one-on-one conversation followed by a breakfast with delegations from both nations.

The Russian delegation will feature key figures such as Sergey Lavrov, Russia’s Foreign Minister, and Andrei Belousov, the Defence Minister. Notably, Zelenskyy’s absence means he will not be part of discussions that could dictate Ukraine’s future. The Kremlin indicates that the focus will be on “settling the conflict in Ukraine” along with broader talks on economic cooperation and global security.

“If Trump realizes he’s getting nothing, he may turn on Putin,” says politics professor Donnacha Ó Beacháin from Dublin City University.

Trump has hinted at the possibility of a second meeting that could include Zelenskyy, but he has also warned of “severe consequences” should talks falter. His approach, however, has drawn skepticism. Early suggestions that the war could end via “land swaps” have been criticized as unrealistic, leaving many to question the validity of his diplomatic strategy.

Experts like Ó Beacháin speculate on the meeting’s potential impacts. They anticipate three possible outcomes: a rift between Trump and Putin, an endorsement of Kremlin demands, or an inconclusive result that both leaders can spin positively in the media. “The best-case scenario is that Trump gets annoyed with Putin and follows through on sanctions,” he explains.

The stakes are high for Ukraine, which feels increasingly sidelined. The military situation has escalated sharply, with Russian forces advancing significantly in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region ahead of the summit. Ukrainian officials report that this offensive aims to gain ground before negotiations, leaving Kyiv anxious about the implications of the talks.

Ó Beacháin notes that the lack of direct representation in the summit sends a troubling signal to Ukraine, where patriotic sentiments run high. “The Ukrainian mood is one of defiance. They are not going to roll over,” he asserts. As the summit unfolds, the potential for a resolution between the US and Russia seems fraught with complications, amid ongoing military actions on the ground.

Trump has framed the Anchorage summit as a pivotal first step, claiming it could lead to significant agreements in subsequent meetings. However, the reality of what will emerge from today’s discussions remains uncertain. As this story develops, the world watches closely to see if any meaningful action will arise from this crucial encounter.