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London, Aug 9: US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet in Alaska on August 15 to discuss ending the war in Ukraine, the White House and Kremlin confirmed Friday. A Kremlin spokesperson said Alaska was a logical choice given its proximity to Russia and noted Trump had also been invited to Moscow for a future summit.

The announcement followed Trump’s remarks suggesting Ukraine might have to cede territory to secure peace. He spoke of “swapping” some areas for the “betterment of both,” without providing details. CBS News reported the White House is exploring a proposal for Russia to keep Crimea and the entire Donbas, while returning the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions it partially occupies. The Wall Street Journal said Putin had floated a similar plan to Trump’s envoy in Moscow.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has rejected any territorial concessions, and it is unclear whether Ukraine or its European allies would agree to such terms. Moscow demands Ukraine adopt neutrality, abandon NATO ambitions, and lift sanctions, as well as withdraw troops from four partially occupied regions.

The war, now in its fourth year, has left Russia holding about 20 percent of Ukraine’s territory. Ukrainian offensives have not reversed these gains, and three earlier rounds of talks in Istanbul failed.

Trump said there was “a shot at” a trilateral agreement involving Ukraine, insisting that “European leaders want to see peace” and that all parties were preparing for a possible deal. Planning for the Alaska summit remains fluid, with the White House saying Zelensky might be involved.

Trump recently threatened new sanctions if Russia did not agree to a ceasefire by August 8, but no measures were announced Friday. This will be the first in-person meeting between a US president and Putin since 2021.

People’s News Monitoring Service