Trump’s “feel-out” with Putin in Alaska is a geopolitical shockwave—first US-Russia summit in decades, aiming to rewrite the Ukraine conflict script. Peace talks with land swaps on the table? The world watches, holding its breath as history unfolds.

Trump Plans ‘Feel-Out’ Meeting with Putin to Push for Ukraine Peace
Washington, D.C., Aug. 13, 2025 — U.S. President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that he will hold a preliminary “feel-out” meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, framing the encounter as an opportunity to push for an end to the war in Ukraine.
Speaking from the White House, Trump said the goal of the meeting, scheduled for later this week in Alaska, is to determine whether Putin is genuinely interested in negotiating peace.
“I’m going in to speak to Vladimir Putin, and I’m going to be telling him: you have got to end this war. You’ve got to end it,” Trump told reporters. He added that he believes the Russian leader “wants to get it over with” and hopes their conversation will be constructive.
Following the talks, Trump plans to brief European leaders immediately, potentially while en route from the meeting. “I’ll be calling the European leaders who I get along with very well. I think I have a great relationship with all of them,” he said. Trump also noted that he maintains ties with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, though he admitted to “strongly disagreeing” with many of Zelenskyy’s decisions. “This is a war that should never have happened,” Trump said.
The U.S. president suggested that a follow-up meeting between Putin and Zelenskyy could take place if progress is made, saying he would be willing to attend. However, Trump expressed irritation at what he views as procedural delays from Kyiv. “I was a little bothered by the fact that Zelenskyy said he needs constitutional approval. He’s got approval to go into war and kill people, but needs approval for a land swap?” Trump remarked.
Trump acknowledged that any peace arrangement might involve territorial concessions, an issue central to past failed negotiations. “There will be some land swapping — some good for Ukraine, some not so good. It’s complicated because the lines are very uneven,” he said.
The announcement has already sparked mixed reactions among NATO and EU officials, with some welcoming renewed dialogue and others warning against any settlement that compromises Ukraine’s sovereignty.
The Alaska summit will mark the first in-person meeting between Trump and Putin since 2019, and the first U.S.-hosted summit with a Russian leader in nearly four decades.
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If you’d like, I can also prepare a more analytical, in-depth version that explores how this meeting could shift the war’s trajectory and the political risks involved.$