Russia confirms Putin-Trump summit Aug. 15 in Alaska

MOSCOW

Russian presidential aide Yury Ushakov confirmed Saturday that a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump is scheduled for Aug. 15 in the American state of Alaska.

Ushakov emphasized the logistical advantages of having the meeting in Alaska, noting its proximity to Russia across the Bering Strait.

"The American side has just announced an agreement reached to arrange a meeting between the presidents of Russia and the US, Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump, on Aug. 15, Friday, in Alaska. Russia and the US are close neighbors, sharing a common border. It seems quite logical for our delegation simply to fly across the Bering Strait and for the important and anticipated summit of leaders of these two countries to take place precisely in Alaska," he said at a news conference in Moscow.

Trump announced earlier on Truth Social that he expected to meet Putin in Alaska on Aug. 15. It will mark the first in-person meeting between the leaders since Trump returned to the White House in January.

Ushakov added that Alaska and the Arctic region represent a natural intersection of Russian and US interests, with a potential for large-scale bilateral projects.

"But of course, the presidents will concentrate on discussing options for achieving lasting peace in settling the Ukrainian crisis," he noted.

Preparations for the summit, described by Ushakov, are a "challenging process," that is underway, with both sides committing to intensive coordination.

"In the coming days, Moscow and Washington will dedicate themselves to intense practical and political preparation for the high-level meeting in Alaska. This promises to be a difficult process, but we will engage in it actively and intensively," he said.

The Kremlin said it expects the next presidential meeting after Alaska to be in Russia.

"If we look ahead, it's natural to aim for holding the next presidential meeting between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump on Russian territory. An appropriate invitation has already been extended to the US president," added Ushakov.