Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin are set to hold a crucial summit in Alaska as the US president attempts to seal a ceasefire agreement on Ukraine.
Russian and American delegations have arrived in Alaska ahead of the talks later on Friday, with Mr Trump’s ceasefire hopes uncertain, but with a last gasp offer from Mr Putin of a possible nuclear deal that could help both men save face.
It comes after Mr Trump met with European leaders and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky for an emergency virtual summit, organised by German chancellor Friedrich Merz, on Wednesday.
The Ukrainian president then met with Sir Keir Starmer at No 10 on Thursday, stating that they are united in their “strong resolve” to secure a just peace in Ukraine.
Mr Trump insisted the Russian president was “not going to mess around with me” ahead of the first meeting between the two leaders since 2018, saying he thinks both “will make peace”.
Earlier on Thursday, Mr Putin praised Mr Trump’s “sincere efforts” towards ending the war in Ukraine, telling Kremlin officials the US is making “quite energetic and sincere efforts to stop the fighting”.
As the presidents prepare to meet, here is everything we know about the summit so far:
The meeting of the Russian and US leaders at a Cold War-era air force base in Alaska will be their first face-to-face talks since Mr Trump returned to the White House and comes amid Ukrainian and European fears that Mr Trump might sell Kyiv out.
Friday’s talks in Anchorage will include a one-on-one meeting, a bilateral lunch with both delegations and a press conference, the White House announced.
It added that the meeting will take place at 11am Alaska time (8pm BST).
Mr Trump, who once said he would end Russia’s war in Ukraine within 24 hours, said on Thursday the three-and-a-half-year conflict had proven a tougher nut to crack than he had thought.
He said if his talks with Mr Putin went well, setting up a subsequent three-way summit with Mr Zelensky – who was not invited to Friday’s meeting – would be even more important than his encounter with Mr Putin.
Mr Trump is pressing for a truce to bolster his credentials as a global peacemaker worthy of the Nobel Peace Prize, something he has made clear is important to him.
Meanwhile, Mr Putin, whose war economy is showing signs of strain, needs Mr Trump to help Russia break out of its straitjacket of ever-tightening Western sanctions, or at the very least not to hit Moscow with more sanctions, something Mr Trump has threatened.
