The fate of Ukraine – torn by years of war, which has killed 45,000 people – is in the hands of Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin today.
For more than three years, Russia and Ukraine have been stuck in a grinding, bloody battle for Ukrainian territory.
It’s a war that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky once said he wanted to end by 2023. One that Trump said he would end within ’24 hours’ of being re-elected last year.
Trump and Putin are meeting for the first time in six years tonight in Alaska for a one-on-one meeting that left Zelensky off the guest list.
Their goal, according to the White House secretary, is for the US president to ‘walk away with a better understanding of how we can end this war’.
The high-risk, high-reward meeting will be closely watched by world leaders, analysts and countless civilians living in two countries upended by war – here’s everything you need to know.
What time is the meeting?
The leaders will meet at 11.30am local time (8.30pm BST) behind closed doors – the only others in the room will be interpreters.
Both presidents will then hold a wider meeting with their delegations – five on each side – before Trump phones Zelensky and other European leaders.
A joint press conference will then be held.
Where in Alaska is Trump meeting Putin?
Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, a US military site surrounded by lakes and glaciers in the state’s largest city, in Anchorage.
The remote installation is home to American fighter jets that historically intercepted Russian aircraft. More than 32,000 people reside at the base today, making up about 10% of Anchorage’s population.
White House officials have said that the installation meets safety requirements for welcoming Trump and Putin.
Summit planners found Anchorage to be the most suited, after also considering the state capital of Juneau and the city of Fairbanks, according to CNN.
They reportedly decided that Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson was the only site in Anchorage that fulfils security requirements.
What does Trump want to get out of the summit?
Trump’s stance on the war has swung wildly in recent months. One moment, the president is humiliating Zelensky in the Oval Office. The next, he’s calling out Putin’s ‘bulls**t’ and saying he’s ‘disgusted’ with him.
Yet, Trump stunned the international community by inviting Putin to US soil despite sanctions and an international arrest warrant for war crimes.
Nevertheless, Trump has set the bar incredibly low for tonight, describing it as a ‘feel-out meeting’ to see what the Kremlin is prepared to offer.
He’s hinted that ‘land swaps’ – territorial concessions – are on the cards. Reports say that the White House may offer lucrative mineral contracts and lift sanctions if Russia agrees to a ceasefire.
Pablo O’Hana, a senior political advisor, however, is more optimistic. He recently wrote for the Metro that the talks could ‘save Ukraine’.
Putin has, in comparison to Trump’s rambling speeches, been tight-lipped.
‘The current American administration… is making, in my opinion, quite energetic and sincere efforts to stop the hostilities, stop the crisis and reach agreements that are of interest to all parties involved in this conflict,’ he said yesterday.
Putin added that the summit ‘creates long-term conditions for peace between our countries, as well as in Europe, and in the world as a whole’.
Russian officials and commentators have compared the meeting to a game of chess and expect Trump will ‘return the favour’ and fly to Russia.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told the Russia-24 TV channel that Moscow is not ‘planning anything’.
‘We know that we have arguments, a clear and understandable position. We will present them,’ he said.
Why is Zelensky not there?
Zelensky, the leader of the country being invaded, won’t be making an appearance tonight.
Why Ukraine has been sidelined is simple, according to the White House – Putin extended the invitation to have a ‘bilateral’ meeting.
Zelensky has not been pleased about this. He’s said the talks ‘will not achieve anything’ without Kyiv having a seat at the table.
‘We understand Russia’s intention to try to deceive America – we will not allow this,’ he said over the weekend.
Ukraine’s European allies, fearing that Trump will cut a deal with Putin, have spent the last week urging Trump to invite Zelensky. They had a phone call with Trump on Wednesday, in which they hashed out five principles for the negotiations, including the idea of a ceasefire.
Has this impacted Trump’s approval ratings?
The Republican leader’s approval ratings have been plummeting for months.
Six in 10 US adults disapprove of his performance, according to the Pew Research Center.
Viewing the president as uncaring about ‘ordinary people’s’ issues and not particularly ‘sharp’, the majority of Americans doubt Trump can make ‘wise decisions’ about the war.
His popularity among Republicans has even taken a hit, with 13% now disapproving, up from 9% in May.
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