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By Sonam Sheth and Anna Commander
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President Donald Trump announced Friday that he and Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet in Alaska for a high-stakes summit over the Ukraine war, after saying earlier in the day that it would be a "popular" setting "for a lot of reasons."
Newsweek reached out to the White House via email Friday for additional comment.
Why It Matters
Trump's announcement followed a multi-hour meeting between Putin and U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff this week and came as Trump pressed for a ceasefire in Ukraine while threatening tariffs and sanctions to compel Russian cooperation.
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What To Know
"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," Trump posted to Truth Social. "Further details to follow. Thank you for your attention to this matter!"
Alaska acting as the setting for the Trump-Putin summit carries historical weight: The state used to be Russian territory until it was sold to the U.S. in 1867 for $7.2 million.
Russian officials said the two presidents had agreed to meet "in the coming days," a timeline announced by Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov after discussions tied to a visit by Witkoff.
Putin had previously suggested the United Arab Emirates as a host, telling reporters the Persian Gulf state would be "one of the more suitable locations" for talks while meeting the UAE president at the Kremlin.
Speaking to reporters earlier on Friday, Trump said, "We're going to be announcing later on, were going to have a meeting with Russia, start off with Russia, and we'll announce the location. I think the location will be a very popular one for a lot of reasons."
The comments came as Trump's deadline was set to expire for Putin to agree to a ceasefire amid his country's war with Ukraine.
Trump also suggested that there could be some "swapping of territories" as part of a broader peace deal between Russia and Ukraine. He made the remark when asked whether Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, whose country Russia invaded in 2022, will have to give up territory as part of a peace deal.
"Well, you're looking at territory that's been fought over for 3 1/2 years ... you know, a lot of Russians have died. A lot of Ukrainians have died," Trump told reporters at the White House.
"So we're looking at that, but we're actually looking to get some back," the president added. "Some swapping. It's complicated ... but we're going to get some back, we're going to get some switched. There'll be some swapping of territories to the betterment of both, but we'll be talking about that either later or tomorrow."
What People Are Saying
Charlie Kirk, founder and CEO of conservative Turning Point USA, wrote on X on Friday: "BREAKING President Trump to meet Putin in Alaska next Friday Pray for peace 🙏"
John Bolton, former national security adviser to Trump in his first term and now critic, wrote on X on Friday: "Of course Putin wants a summit to happen. Putin hasn't met with an American president since before he invaded Ukraine. He's been pounded with sanctions. In his eyes, a meeting between him and Trump would legitimize him with the West."
What Happens Next
Trump and Putin are set to meet on August 15 in Alaska.
Update 8/8/25 7:17 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional context.
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