Trump, Putin to meet in Alaska next week as Moscow seeks Eastern Ukraine in exchange for ceasefire

US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet in Alaska on August 15 to discuss ending the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, with Trump acting as a negotiator for a possible peace deal.

According to a foreign media report, Putin is prepared to agree to a ceasefire if Ukraine and NATO withdraw from eastern Ukraine. Quoting European and Ukrainian officials, the report says the Kremlin wants control over eastern Ukraine and global recognition of its claims in exchange for ending the fighting.

Moscow is demanding four provinces – Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson. Trump, speaking at a briefing, said any peace deal would likely involve territory swaps. "But we’re gonna get some [territory] back. We’re gonna get some switched. There’ll be some swapping of territories, to the betterment of both," he said, without giving more details.

First US-Russia summit since 2021

He also added, "President Putin I believe wants to see peace." On Truth Social, Trump posted: "The highly anticipated meeting between myself, as 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. Thank you for your attention to this matter!"

This will be the first US-Russia summit since 2021, when then-President Joe Biden met Putin in Geneva. The announcement came just hours after Trump told reporters he plans to discuss the war with Putin, expressing cautious optimism that "we have a shot" at brokering peace. Earlier, the Kremlin also confirmed the meeting after US envoy Steve Witkoff met Putin in Moscow.

Territory swap talks on table

There was no immediate reaction from Ukraine. The announcement of the meeting came just hours after Trump had signalled that Ukraine might have to cede territory in order to end the war, which began with Russia's full-scale invasion of its neighbour in February 2022.

"You're looking at territory that's been fought over for three and a half years, a lot of Russians have died. A lot of Ukrainians have died," Trump said at the White House on Friday. "It's very complicated. We're going to get some back, we're going to get some switched. There will be some swapping of territories, to the betterment of both."

Crimea and Donbas in possible proposal

The proposed agreement under discussion would see Russia take control of the entire Donbas region in eastern Ukraine and retain Crimea. In return, it would withdraw from the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions, which it currently occupies in part, as per media reports.

A similar arrangement has reportedly been suggested by Moscow during earlier diplomatic contacts, indicating some alignment between the positions being explored.

It remains unclear whether Ukraine and its European partners would accept such a deal, as Kyiv has consistently opposed any settlement requiring territorial concessions.

Planning for the upcoming meeting between the US and Russian leaders is still in flux, with the possibility that Ukraine’s leadership could be involved in some capacity. The war remains deadlocked, with Russia controlling about 20 per cent of Ukrainian territory and Ukrainian forces unable to reclaim significant ground in recent offensives.