President Donald Trump announced on Friday that he will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin next week in Alaska. 

The president broke the news on his Truth Social social media platform, confirming that the meeting would take place on Friday, August 15. 

The eagerly awaited meeting between myself, the President of the United States, and Russian President Vladimir Putin, is set for next Friday, August 15, 2025, in the wonderful state of Alaska,’ Trump announced. ‘More details will be provided soon. Thank you for your attention!’

Earlier Friday, Trump spoke to reporters about his attempts to end the war between Ukraine and Russia, saying he would start by meeting with Putin. 

The president confirmed that discussions about Ukrainian territory would be necessary to bring an end to the conflict that has persisted for three and a half years.

‘It’s complicated, nothing easy,’ he previewed. ‘It’s very complicated but we’re going to get some back and we’re going to get some switched.’ 

Trump said his focus was on ending the war and ‘saving lives.’  

‘I think if we didn’t come, Ukraine and Russia would have ended up being a World War, and I stopped that,’ he said.

President Donald Trump announced on Friday that he will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin next Friday in Alaska 

The statement, shared via Trump’s social media platform Truth Social, described the meeting as ‘highly anticipated,’ though few details were provided

This summit marks the first direct encounter between Russian and American leaders since former President Joe Biden’s meeting with Putin in 2021. Russia entered Ukraine in 2022 following the meeting with Biden, who opted out of further talks with Putin after the incursion.

This upcoming meeting will also be noteworthy as it is the first time since 2015 that Putin, or any Russian leader, has visited the U.S. The last visit occurred when Putin met then-President Barack Obama during the UN General Assembly Meeting in New York City on September 28, 2015.

The surprise announcement comes just one day after the Trump’s new deadline for Russia to commit to peace talks expired.

Trump’s announcement came amidst reports from various U.S. media citing a White House source, suggesting that any meeting with the Russian leader would depend on his readiness to interact directly with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Nevertheless, when journalists asked for clarity, the U.S. President clarified that a direct meeting between Putin and Zelensky is not a requirement for the planned discussions between the U.S. and Russia to proceed.

The U.S. leader is continuing to seek a diplomatic end to the war in Ukraine – and is threatening economic sanctions if Putin continues to snub Volodymyr Zelensky.

If the U.S. missed the peace talk deadline, the nation would have been expected to levy secondary tariffs targeting Russia’s key allies India and China. In anticipation of those surcharges, India last night announced it was suspending its orders for Russian oil.

The soon-to-be meeting also marks the first time Putin – or any Russian leader – has visited the U.S. since 2015. The meeting is set to take place in the U.S. state of Alaska (pictured)

The move would deprive the Kremlin of billions in oil revenues to bankroll its occupation and bombardment of Ukraine.

When asked about the deadline, Trump said it was ‘up to’ Putin.

‘It’s going to be up to him [Putin]. We’re going to see what he has to say. It’s going to be up to him. Very disappointed.’

Posting on X, President Zelensky said a ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia was still at the forefront of negotiations.

He said: ‘We remain mindful of the need for a real ceasefire. Ukraine is ready for it and there has been no clear public response from Russia yet.’