Trump, Putin to meet next week

By Sarah Roderick-Fitch
The Center Square

More than three years after Russia invaded Ukraine, progress in achieving peace in the region could be on the horizon as President Donald Trump has announced plans to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin next week

Trump said the pair plans to meet in person in Alaska on Friday, Aug. 15.

“The highly anticipated meeting between myself, as the 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,” Trump posted on Truth Social Friday afternoon.

The announcement comes fresh on the heels of the president hosting a bilateral signing at the White House between Nikol Pashinyan, prime minister of the Republic of Armenia, and Ilham Aliyev, president of the Republic of Azerbaijan, in steps to end nearly 40 years of conflict between the two countries.

Since taking office for a second time, Trump has met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, most recently during the NATO summit.

Trump and Zelenskyy had a tense meeting in the Oval Office in February, ending with the Ukrainian president leaving abruptly. Since then, the two appear to have mended fences, with Trump pledging support for Ukraine.

In recent months, Trump has expressed frustration with Putin and the continued Russian offense in Ukraine after invading the country in February 2022. The ongoing war has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths, including thousands of civilians.