What is behind curtains of Putin-Trump summit?

(MENAFN) The global spotlight is set to turn toward Alaska as U.S. President Donald Trump prepares to welcome Russian President Vladimir Putin for discussions focused on ending the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

The talks, scheduled for Friday at Putin’s request, come at a time when frontlines in Ukraine have remained largely unchanged throughout the summer. While Russia has managed to slowly advance in the east, it has also launched heavy strikes against cities far removed from direct combat zones.

Despite the devastation, no concrete progress has been made toward peace. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has consistently dismissed the idea of trading territory for a settlement—a plan Trump has openly supported. “Ukrainians will not give their land to the occupier,” Zelensky said recently, following Trump’s suggestion that land exchanges could lead “to the betterment of both” nations.

The issue of territorial concessions remains the greatest obstacle to peace. Zelenskyy not only faces fierce public opposition to surrendering any land after more than three years of fighting, but Ukraine’s Constitution would also need to be amended to allow such a move.

Meanwhile, Putin shows no indication of backing down before securing what he views as total victory. That objective, however, appears distant as Russian troops suffer heavy weekly losses and face shortages in supplies.

Officials in Washington have attempted to lower expectations, characterizing the gathering as more of a chance for Trump to hear Putin’s perspective than to secure immediate breakthroughs. “The president is agreeing to this meeting at the request of President Putin. And the goal of this meeting for the president is to walk away with a better understanding of how we can end this war,” said White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt on Tuesday.

Putin initiated the summit after meeting with Trump’s special envoy in Moscow last week, according to reports.

When asked what Trump hopes to gain from the talks, one analyst suggested his main ambition is to produce something that can be seen as a measurable success. “I think his central objective is to try to come up with something tangible in terms of some sort of ceasefire or truce that he can show as a diplomatic victory in bringing the parties together,” the analyst said.

At the same time, it was noted that Trump could just as easily frame a possible follow-up gathering with both Putin and Zelenskyy as a major success—so long as Putin agrees on Friday. “We’ve seen the way he presents himself, and very often there’s kind of big promises, and he usually leaves himself some sort of fallback position,” the analyst added.

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