Washington: US President Donald Trump will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin on August 15 in Alaska to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine, Trump announced on Friday.

The highly anticipated meeting comes after Trump said that all parties, including Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, were close to a ceasefire deal that could end the three-and-a-half-year conflict. The agreement could require Ukraine to surrender significant territory.

Speaking at the White House earlier on Friday, Trump suggested the deal might involve a swap of land. "There'll be some swapping of territories to the betterment of both," the Republican president said.

The Kremlin later confirmed the summit, with Putin aide Yuri Ushakov saying the leaders would focus on a long-term peaceful resolution. "This will evidently be a challenging process, but we will engage in it actively and energetically," Ushakov said.

Zelenskiy’s cautious hope
In his evening address, Zelenskiy said a ceasefire was possible if sufficient pressure was applied to Russia. He noted he had spoken with more than a dozen world leaders and remained in constant contact with the US.

Putin claims four Ukrainian regions – Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson – as well as Crimea, annexed in 2014. Russian forces do not fully control all the claimed territory.

Bloomberg News reported that US and Russian officials were exploring a deal that would secure Moscow’s hold over occupied areas. The White House called the report speculative; the Kremlin did not comment.

According to Bloomberg, the proposal would see Russia halt its offensive in Kherson and Zaporizhzhia along current battle lines. Ukraine has previously shown flexibility in pursuing peace, but ceding about a fifth of its land would be a severe political challenge for Zelenskiy.

Tyson Barker, a former US State Department envoy for Ukraine’s economic recovery, said such a deal would be unacceptable to Kyiv: "The best the Ukrainians can do is remain firm in their objections and their conditions for a negotiated settlement, while demonstrating their gratitude for American support."

Diplomatic context
Alaska last hosted a major diplomatic event in March 2021, when senior US and Chinese officials met in Anchorage under former President Joe Biden. That meeting quickly descended into a public confrontation.

Since returning to the White House in January, Trump has sought to repair ties with Russia and end the war, alternating between praising and criticising Putin.

Recently, Trump threatened new sanctions and tariffs against Russia and its trade partners unless Moscow agreed to end the conflict. It was unclear by Friday night whether the measures would proceed.

On Wednesday, the administration targeted India with a 25% tariff over its imports of Russian oil — the first financial penalty against Russia in Trump’s second term.

Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, met Putin in Moscow for three hours on Wednesday, with both sides calling the talks constructive.

European signals of a ceasefire
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, a strong supporter of Ukraine, said a pause in fighting could be near. After talks with Zelenskiy, he told reporters:

"There are certain signals… that perhaps a freeze in the conflict – I don't want to say the end, but a freeze – is closer than it is further away."

Tusk added that Zelenskiy was “very cautious but optimistic” and wanted Poland and other European countries to help shape a ceasefire and eventual peace settlement.