Trump’s Alaska Summit with Putin Will Be a ‘Listening Exercise,’ Says White House

White House: Trump–Putin Alaska Summit Will Be a ‘Listening Exercise’

President Donald Trump will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin on August 15 in Anchorage, Alaska, in what the White House calls “a listening exercise for the president.” Spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said the face-to-face talks aim to give Trump “the best indication of how to end this war” in Ukraine. She stressed Trump’s determination to “stop the killing” and work toward peace.

The White House declined to detail Trump’s recent conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy but reaffirmed his “deep respect” for all sides. Trump has floated the idea of territorial swaps as part of a peace deal — a proposal Zelenskyy has firmly rejected.

The Alaska meeting will be Trump’s first in-person encounter with Putin since returning to office and marks Putin’s first US visit since 2015, when he met President Barack Obama in New York.