Point of return: what to expect from the summit of the Presidents of Russia and the United States in Alaska

Kiev and Brussels may try to disrupt the settlement of the situation in Ukraine, which Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump will try to reach at the August 15 summit, analysts interviewed by Izvestia believe. Moscow and Washington probably intend to determine the principles for ending the conflict and resolve the territorial issue. Earlier it became known that the first face-to-face meeting of the leaders of the Russian Federation and the United States since 2021 will be held in Alaska. This region has always played the role of a bridge in relations between Moscow and Washington: until 1867, it was a possession of Russia, during the Great Patriotic War, planes were transferred through Alaska to the USSR under lend-lease. Russia and the United States.

Where will the talks between the presidents of Russia and the United States take place

Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump will hold talks in Alaska on August 15, Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov said. Earlier, the American leader announced this. This will be the first face-to-face meeting between the heads of the two powers since the G20 summit in Osaka in 2019. In 2021, Vladimir Putin met with U.S. President Joe Biden in Switzerland.

— Russia and the United States are close neighbors, they border each other. And it seems quite logical for our delegation to simply fly across the Bering Strait and for such an important and anticipated summit of the leaders of the two countries to be held in Alaska," said Yuri Ushakov.

The decision to hold a meeting between the two presidents followed a visit to Moscow by the special representative of the head of the White House, Steve Witkoff, who was received by Vladimir Putin. Their conversation lasted about three hours, after which Yuri Ushakov said that the American side had put forward a proposal that "seems quite acceptable to Russia." Donald Trump wrote on social media that "great progress" had been made as a result of the negotiations.

Why Alaska?

The choice of Alaska as a meeting place came as a complete surprise to everyone, as previously the UAE, Hungary, Italy and Switzerland were mentioned in the media as options. Russian sources have stated that holding a summit in Europe is completely ruled out. In February, the U.S. and Russian delegations met in the Saudi capital of Riyadh, followed by bilateral talks in Istanbul. By the way, three rounds of direct dialogue between Moscow and Kiev have already taken place there.

Alaska has a special significance for relations between Russia and the United States, both symbolically and practically. The peninsula became a possession of the Russian Empire in the 18th century, bringing it income in the form of furs. However, already in the 19th century it became clear that it would be difficult to keep Alaska from the penetration of British influence due to its remoteness. In addition, it was obvious that the cost of maintaining and protecting this remote and vulnerable, from a geopolitical point of view, territory would outweigh the potential profit. As a result, the Russian Federation and the United States signed a deal to sell the territory for $7.2 million in gold.

But Alaska has always played a connecting role in relations between Russia and the United States. During the Great Patriotic War, the Alsib (Alaska—Siberia) air route operated, through which the United States supplied Lend-Lease aircraft and other cargo to the USSR. The route of Soviet submariners from Vladivostok to Murmansk also passed through Alaska.

Governor Mike Dunleavy also noted that the region has always served as a bridge between the two countries, which is why Alaska is ready to host the historic leaders' summit.

It is important that this will be the first visit by a Russian head of state to Alaska since the peninsula was sold to the United States in 1867. Moreover, none of the Russian emperors has visited Alaska since its discovery in 1741 during the Second Kamchatka Expedition, Tigran Meloyan, an analyst at the HSE Center for Mediterranean Studies, told Izvestia.

— It is also noteworthy that Alaska is the most remote place from Europe, where European affairs will be discussed, — the expert emphasized.

The second aspect concerns the economic side of the issue. The economic interests of the Russian Federation and the United States intersect in Alaska and the Arctic, and prospects for the implementation of large-scale and mutually beneficial projects are being explored, Yuri Ushakov noted. Earlier, Donald Trump has already expressed interest in developing cooperation with Moscow in the field of rare earth metals. It is likely that the topic of resource extraction projects will become part of the agenda of the talks between the two leaders.

The decision to hold the presidents' summit in this particular place is deeply symbolic, according to Oleg Karpovich, Vice-rector of the Diplomatic Academy. Of course, by agreeing to come to the United States, President Putin is showing respect to his American counterpart. But Trump also completely abandoned the previous approaches of the West, inviting Putin to visit him and destroying the line of boycott of Moscow.

— Obviously, the conversation will focus not only on Ukraine, but also on the whole range of issues related to our bilateral relations and world politics. And here we cannot do without a vivid historical background. There is no doubt that by creating summit conditions that are comfortable for Trump, we are not just making a concession, but extending a hand of friendship to him, which can play a role in resolving the crisis situation on a global scale," the expert told Izvestia.

The choice of Alaska as a meeting place was influenced by the need to organize it as soon as possible. Due to the absence of third parties, risks are reduced and preparation time is shortened. The fact that the summit is being held in the United States is a demonstration of the level of closeness and trust that has arisen between Moscow and Washington, Gevorg Mirzayan, associate professor at the Department of Mass Communications and Media Business at the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation, tells Izvestia.

At the same time, the next summit of the leaders of Russia and the United States, as stated by Yuri Ushakov, is expected in Russia. The corresponding invitation has already been sent to the President of the United States.

Reaction to the decision to hold a meeting between Putin and Trump

The main topic of the talks between Putin and Trump will be the settlement of the conflict in Ukraine. The presidents have already held six telephone conversations, and they also exchanged messages through intermediaries. Washington insists on a cease-fire and a transition to direct negotiations between Moscow and Kiev. In March, the parties agreed to declare a moratorium on strikes on energy facilities, but Kiev systematically violated it. In addition, Vladimir Putin twice announced a temporary ceasefire before Easter and Victory Day, and Ukraine actually sabotaged these proposals.

In May, Russia took the initiative to resume direct talks in Istanbul, which were interrupted in 2022. Following the results of the three rounds, the parties made progress on humanitarian issues, as well as exchanged memoranda on the principles of conflict resolution. However, the positions of the parties are diametrically opposed: Russia insists on the neutral status of Ukraine, the withdrawal of the Armed Forces of Ukraine from the occupied areas of the DPR, Zaporizhia and Kherson regions, which are part of the Russian Federation after the referendums of 2022.

Speculation has already begun in the Western media field about the possible terms that Moscow and Washington will come to. The Polish edition of Onet wrote that among the options discussed is the freezing of the conflict along the line of contact. The Wall Street Journal, citing sources, published an article stating that at the first stage Ukraine should withdraw troops from the occupied areas of the DPR, and then the presidents of the Russian Federation and the United States will agree on a "final peace plan." However, it is now that the active elaboration of the discussion agenda is underway.

— Moscow and Washington will, of course, devote the coming days to the most active, intense study of the practical and political parameters of the summit in Alaska. And it will, apparently, be a difficult process, but we will actively and intensively deal with it," said Russian Presidential aide Yuri Ushakov.

The experience of recent months shows that the Trump administration is satisfied with framework agreements, a set of agreed principles and guidelines. The details remain for further elaboration by the rest of the participants in the process — be it Rwanda and the DRC, or Armenia and Azerbaijan. It is unlikely that the situation will be different with regard to Russia, Ivan Loshkarev, associate professor of Political Theory at the MGIMO Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia, told Izvestia.

— Among the possible compromises is the abandonment of the requirement of Ukraine's neutrality in exchange for some form of non—expansion of NATO, the withdrawal of troops from Sumy and Kharkiv regions in exchange for the liberated territories of the DPR. Apparently, in negotiations with the Americans, the Russian side is not actively pedaling the humanitarian theme — honoring Nazism in Ukraine, the persecution of canonical Orthodoxy, and the protection of the rights of Russian speakers. This makes sense, since Trump is mainly interested in the economic dimension of the conflict. Therefore, probably the main intrigue of these negotiations is what from the humanitarian block will be included in the final document," Loshkarev believes.

The logic and choice of Alaska as the meeting place show that the countries really need these negotiations as soon as possible. This means that we may see some decisions made by Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump. However, it is highly likely that the Kiev regime and the EU will reject these decisions, which will seriously strengthen Russia's position within the framework of the SVR, Gevorg Mirzayan believes.

It is the line of Kiev and Brussels that is the main obstacle to resolving the situation. Zelensky, after Trump's statement on the Russian-American summit, said that Kiev was ready for solutions that could lead to peace, but would not "donate its land."

European officials are in turmoil after news of a planned meeting between the presidents of Russia and the United States, writes The Washington Post. They continue to put sanctions pressure on Moscow and, obviously, hoped for the United States to join this line. However, the American leader chose a dialogue with Russia, realizing the degree of responsibility of the two powers for the situation on the world stage.

— Last time in April, when the parties were close to an agreement, it was the intervention of the Europeans that led to the emergence of proposals that were obviously unacceptable to the Russian Federation. If a fundamental American-Russian agreement is reached, the Europeans will have to agree," Ivan Loshkarev emphasizes.

Despite public statements about readiness for peace, such agreements are a harbinger of downfall for the Ukrainian authorities. Inside the country, the attitude towards Zelensky's team is changing in a negative direction, and therefore both peaceful and violent options for his removal are possible, the expert concluded.