Putin and Trump will meet at a military installation in Alaska Putin and Trump will meet at a military installation in Alaska that has long been deployed to fight Russia.
In an ironic turn of events, President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin are scheduled to speak about the conflict in Ukraine at an Alaskan military installation that was essential to opposing the Soviet Union during the height of the Cold War and continues to be important now.
According to a White House official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal preparations, the meeting is set for Friday at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage.
Throughout much of the Cold War, the base—which was formed in 2010 by the merger of Elmendorf Air Force Base and Army Fort Richardson—has been crucial in keeping an eye on and discouraging the Soviet Union.
Following a high-level virtual meeting between Trump, Zelenskyy, and European leaders—hosted by Germany—to delineate non-negotiable principles prior to the Alaska negotiations, the US president issued the warning.
In a harsh warning to Russian President Vladimir Putin, US President Donald Trump threatened “severe consequences” if Moscow obstructed peace in Ukraine.
In his remarks on Wednesday, Trump alluded to the possibility of punitive actions, including economic sanctions, should their planned summit in Alaska on Friday fail to yield results.
Trump did not, however, outline the potential repercussions. He emphasized that the discussions would be a prelude to a potential follow-up meeting, which would include Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
“Will Russia face any consequences if Vladimir Putin does not agree to stop the war after your meeting on Friday?”President Trump: “Yes, they will.” lLfbR0iHxj pic.twitter.com/— August 13, 2025, Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47)
Trump warns Russia
The base still houses important aircraft squadrons, such as the F-22 Raptor stealth fighter jet, even though the majority of the military equipment has already been decommissioned. Additionally, Russian aircraft that frequently enter American airspace are still intercepted by planes from the facility.
According to Benjamin Jensen, senior fellow for defense and security at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a think tank based in Washington, the leaders can avoid protests and enjoy a significant degree of protection by meeting at an American military installation.
“It’s a great way for President Trump to demonstrate American military might while also denying the public or others the opportunity to step in and engage in what he likely hopes is a constructive dialogue,” Jensen said.
Trump told reporters, “We’ll have a quick second one if the first one goes okay.” “I would like to do it almost immediately, and we’ll have a quick second meeting between President Putin and President Zelenskyy and myself, if they’d like to have me there.”
“This is Biden’s work, this is not my work,” the US president added, claiming that the actions of the Biden administration were to blame for the war in Ukraine. This is what he got us into. If I had been president, this conflict would never have occurred. It is what it is, though. I’m here to make it right.
The warning follows a high-level virtual meeting that Germany arranged for Trump, Zelenskyy, and European leaders to discuss non-negotiable stances before the Alaska discussions.
“We made a wise decision. He was on the phone. The person on the call was President Zelenskyy. “Very friendly, I’d give it a ten,” Trump remarked.
Trump had agreed, according to French President Emmanuel Macron, that Ukrainian territory could not be traded away without Kyiv’s approval. Macron said that Trump supported any post-war agreement that included security assurances for Ukraine.
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