Putin and Trump's talks in Alaska, Moscow time: what's the difference with Russia, negotiations start on August 15

On Friday, August 15, an important meeting between the President of Russia and the President of the United States Donald Trump will take place in Alaska. It is expected that the key topic of the talks will be a long-term settlement of the conflict in Ukraine. Due to the large time difference between Moscow and Alaska, the start of the summit of the heads of the two powers is expected to shift to the early morning of Saturday, August 16, Moscow time. Izvestia tells us when the historic meeting between Trump and Putin will take place.

What time is it in Alaska at the moment?

The United States is divided into several time zones, which explains the time difference between the regions of the country. The continental part is divided into four standard zones: Eastern (EST, UTC−5), Central (CST, UTC−6), Mountainous (MST, UTC−7) and Pacific (PST, UTC−8). If we take into account all the island territories of the United States, there are 11 time zones in the country.

The largest American state of Alaska is officially divided into two time zones. The main one, including the continental part of Alaska and most localities, uses the Alaskan time zone: AKST (UTC−9) in winter, AKDT (UTC−8) in summer. This means that in August 2025, Alaska time is 8 hours behind coordinated universal time.

However, the western Aleutian Islands, which are part of the state and closest to the borders of Russia, operate according to the Hawaiian-Aleutian time zone — HAST (UTC−10) in winter and HADT (UTC−9) in summer. In addition, Alaska observes the seasonal change of the hands of the clock. In 2025, daylight saving time was switched to March, and the return to standard time will take place in early November.

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What is the time difference between Moscow and Alaska?

Russia has 11 time zones, which are numbered from UTC+2 to UTC+12 according to the international classification. This length of time zones is determined by the width of the country's territory from west to east.

Moscow Time (MSK), as in most regions of the European part of the country, corresponds to UTC+3 and does not change to summer or winter time. Accordingly, the time difference between Moscow and Alaska in the summer is 11 hours, where the American state is "behind" the Russian capital. If it's 12:00 in Moscow, then it's still early at night in Alaska — 01:00 on the same day. In winter, when Alaska switches to UTC−9 standard time, the difference will increase to 12 hours.

Such a significant time difference creates conditions under which the morning events in Alaska are perceived by the inhabitants of Russia as late evening or even night.

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Start of talks between Putin and Trump in Alaska, Moscow time

The meeting of the Presidents of Russia and the United States, Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump, will take place on August 15 in Alaska. The exact time of the negotiations is unknown. For example, if they start at noon, then in Moscow it will be 23:00 on August 15. And if the negotiations start at about 18:00 local time, then in Moscow at this time it will be 5:00 the next day — August 16.

The choice of Alaska for the meeting is explained by the geographical proximity of the two countries, as well as the importance of the region as a potential platform for joint economic projects.

The main topic of the talks will be the situation in Ukraine and the search for long-term peaceful solutions to the conflict. According to Russian Presidential aide Yuri Ushakov, the discussion focused on the possibility of achieving a ceasefire, discussing sanctions and ways to resolve Russian-American relations. The meeting, after a break of several years, is important for bilateral relations and could be the beginning of important diplomatic initiatives.

In addition to Russia and the United States, representatives of other countries may take part in the negotiations. In particular, the American television channel CNN reports on the possibility of the participation of President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky, although at the moment his visit has not been officially confirmed. The Permanent Representative of the United States to NATO, Matthew Whitaker, noted that no decision on this issue has yet been made.