By Joke Kujenya
UNITED STATES (US) President Donald Trump has pledged he will not conduct business with Russia until the war in Ukraine is resolved, as he heads to Anchorage, Alaska, for a high-stakes meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump said the talks would focus on getting Putin “to the table” but stopped short of offering security guarantees for Ukraine as part of any settlement.
He stressed that the meeting was not intended to negotiate directly on behalf of Kyiv, and that any agreement would ultimately require addressing contested territories, with Russia currently occupying almost a fifth of Ukraine’s land.
Putin, travelling from Moscow, made a stop in the far eastern region of Magadan, where he chaired a meeting of local government officials and visited an industrial plant, according to Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov.
Peskov told state news agency TASS that the city holds particular significance for Putin, noting that he had visited it many times, including during his tenure as prime minister.
From Magadan, the Russian president faces a four-hour flight to Anchorage after an eight-hour journey from Moscow. Due to the time zones crossed, Putin will effectively experience two Fridays, first in Magadan and then in Alaska.
The summit is scheduled for 3:30pm Eastern Time (11:30am local time) at an American military base outside Anchorage.
Zelenskyy Not Attending
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is not attending but has expressed support for Trump’s suggestion of a potential trilateral meeting if discussions with Putin progress.
Zelenskyy also stated that Ukraine is “counting on America” as it continues to resist Russia’s military campaign.
Anti-Putin Meeting Protests in Alaska
The meeting has prompted visible dissent in Alaska, where protesters gathered in Anchorage on Thursday waving Ukrainian flags and urging Trump not to make concessions to Moscow.
Among them was Meg Leonard, a local resident and former Republican voter who described herself as a “never Trumper.”
She displayed a Ukrainian flag outside her home, which she said she bought after watching what she viewed as a negative exchange between Trump and Zelenskyy during a February meeting in the Oval Office.
Leonard criticised the absence of Ukraine’s president from the talks and expressed opposition to Putin’s visit, describing the Russian leader as “an international criminal” responsible for civilian casualties.
In contrast, some in Alaska have voiced support for Trump’s approach. In the port town of Whittier, wildlife photographer Tim Colley said he believes Trump is an underestimated dealmaker who genuinely seeks peace.
Colley argued that prolonging the war would only cause further loss of life, adding that both Trump and Putin have “the ultimate egos” and suggesting that managing those egos could be key to progress.
Political observers note that the Trump-Putin meeting comes at a critical juncture in the war, with neither side showing signs of retreat on core demands.
Washington says while it continues to provide military and economic support to Kyiv, Trump has indicated that his priority is opening a direct channel with Moscow, with the possibility of wider talks involving Ukraine only if initial discussions prove productive.
