What are Putin and Trump trying to achieve in Alaska?

U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin will prepare for negotiations to end Russia’s war in Ukraine at a Friday summit in Alaska.

Putin has always been consistent with his desire to win Ukrainian territory, and Trump has no secret desire to serve as a global peaceman.

But these two men may also feel other opportunities, such as Putin’s world stage diplomatic recovery. The second speculation that Trump’s goal is even more difficult, as he recently made a swinging statement to his Russian counterparts.

It’s a comprehensive look at what the two leaders might want in the meeting.

Russian editor Steve Rosenberg

The first thing Putin wants from this summit is what he already gets.

This is recognition.

The West’s efforts to isolate the Kremlin leaders are recognized by the world’s most powerful country.

This is proven by the fact that this high-level meeting is happening, as is the joint press conference announced by the Kremlin. The Kremlin can be said that Russia has returned to the top of global politics.

“Such lonely man,” tabloid Moskovsky Komsomolets crowed earlier this week.

Putin not only won the US-Russian summit, but was also the main location. Alaska has a lot to offer the Kremlin.

First, security. In its closest place, the continent of Alaska is only 90 km (55 miles) from Chukotka, Russia. Vladimir Putin can get there without flying over a “hostile” country.

Secondly, Ukraine and Europe are still a long way to go. This is the Kremlin’s determination to Kiev and EU leaders and dealing directly with the United States.

There is also historical symbolism. The fact that Tsarist Russia sold Alaska to the United States in the 19th century is being used by Moscow to prove its attempt to change borders by force in the 21st century.

“Alaska is a clear example of how state borders can change and large territories can change ownership,” Moskovsky Komsomolets wrote.

But Putin not only wants international recognition and symbols.

He wants to win. He has always insisted that Russia retained all the land occupied and occupied in four Ukrainian regions (Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson), while Kiev withdrew from these areas still under Ukrainian control.

This is unacceptable for Ukraine. “The Ukrainians will not hand over their land to the occupiers,” said the country’s president Volodymyr Zelensky.

The Kremlin knows this. But if it gets support from Trump for his territorial claims, the calculation could be that Ukraine’s rejection would result in Trump reducing all support for Keefe. At the same time, Russia and the United States will continue to promote relations and develop economic cooperation.

But there is another situation.

Russia’s economy is under pressure. The budget deficit is rising, and revenue from oil and gas exports are falling.

If economic issues are pushing Putin to end the war, the Kremlin may compromise.

For now, there is no sign of this – Russian officials continue to insist that Russia holds the initiative on the battlefield.

North American correspondent Anthony Zurcher

Trump famously promised during the 2024 presidential campaign that ending the Ukrainian war would be easy and that he could do it in a few days.

He has alternated with frustrations between Ukrainians and Russians since returning to the White House in January, a promise that has been in the U.S. president’s efforts to resolve the conflict.

He harassed Zelensky at a dramatic White House meeting in February, and later temporarily suspended military aid and intelligence sharing with war-torn nations.

In recent months, he has been even more critical of Putin’s uneasiness and willingness to attack civilian targets, setting a series of deadlines for new sanctions against Russians and other business with them. Last Friday was the most recent deadline, and like all previous deadlines, Trump finally backed off.

Now, he is presided over the Russian president on U.S. land and talks about “land sales” which Ukraine fears may include land concessions in exchange for peace.

Therefore, discussions about what Trump wants in talks with Putin on Friday are overshadowed by the president’s deep remarks and actions.

This week, Trump made a unanimous effort to reduce expectations for the meeting – perhaps acquiesced by default for the possibility of a breakthrough, with only one party in the war.

He said on Monday that the summit would be a “elimination” meeting. He advised him to know whether he could reach an agreement with the Russian leader “probably two minutes.”

“I might leave, good luck, that will be the last one,” he added. “I might say this won’t fix it.”

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt strengthened the news Tuesday, calling the summit a “hearing meeting.”

With Trump, it is usually best to expect unexpected situations. Zelensky and European leaders spoke to him on Wednesday to ensure he won’t reach a deal with Putin that Ukraine won’t or can’t accept it.

However, the seasons of the year are actually obvious: Trump welcomes the opportunity to be the one who ends the war.

In his inaugural address, he said he hopes his most proud legacy becomes a “peacemaker.” It’s no secret that he longs for international recognition of the Nobel Peace Prize.

Trump is not a person in trouble in detail. But if he has the opportunity to claim that he has made progress in the talks in Anchorage, he will accept it.

Putin is always a shrewd negotiator and may seek a way to get Trump to do this under Russian conditions.