Trump-Putin meeting in Alaska will be 'listening exercise': White House
What's the story
The White House has described the upcoming meeting between United States President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin as a "listening exercise for the president." The summit is scheduled to take place on August 15 in Anchorage, Alaska. White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt emphasized that this face-to-face meeting is aimed at understanding how to end the war in Ukraine.
Peace efforts
Trump has deep respect for all parties involved: Leavitt
Leavitt said, "President getting in a room with the President of Russia—sitting face-to-face rather than speaking over the telephone—will give this President the best indication of how to end this war." She added that Trump is determined to try and end the conflict. The White House also stressed Trump's "deep respect" for all parties involved in the Ukrainian conflict, although it declined to comment on his recent talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Peace negotiations
Trump suggested territory swapping for Ukraine peace deal
Earlier, Trump had suggested that a peace deal for Ukraine could involve "some swapping of territories." However, Zelenskyy rejected this idea, stating, "Ukraine will not give land to the occupier," and emphasized the need for "not a pause in the killings, but a real lasting peace immediately." "There must be a just end to the war, and it depends on Russia. It is Russia that must end the war it started," he said in a video message.
Diplomatic meeting
Putin's 1st US visit in a decade
The meeting in Alaska is also significant as it will be Putin's first visit to the United States in 10 years. His last visit was in September 2015 when he met former President Barack Obama at the UN General Assembly in New York. According to the State Department, Putin first visited the US as Russia's leader in 2000, when he met then-President Bill Clinton at the UN Millennium Summit.