U.S. President Donald Trump has declared that Russian President Vladimir Putin “won’t mess around” with him, ahead of their first one-on-one meeting in six years.
The summit, set for Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson near Anchorage, Alaska, will focus on the war in Ukraine but will not include Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The base, a former Cold War defense post, was selected for its security features and symbolic proximity to Russian territory.
Kyiv has strongly criticized Zelensky’s exclusion from the talks. The Ukrainian leader warned that any agreements reached without his participation “will be meaningless,” as Russia’s 2022 invasion continues to cause mass casualties and destruction.
Trump has positioned himself as a potential peacemaker, while Putin is expected to maintain his demand for territorial concessions. The conflict has killed tens of thousands and displaced millions.
Local opinion in Anchorage is divided. Don Cressley, visiting from North Pole, Alaska, expressed support for ending the war but wished Zelensky had been invited. “People are losing everything,” he said. Anchorage resident Russell Wilson called the meeting historic, adding, “Russia’s our neighbor. I just hope something good comes out of it.”
World attention is now on Alaska, where the high-stakes encounter could shape the next phase of the war and U.S.-Russia relations.
