Putin-Trump Meeting Nears Amid Ukraine, US-Russia Tensions

U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are scheduled to meet in Alaska, marking a significant high-level engagement amid ongoing tensions related to the war in Ukraine. This planned meeting follows a series of strained contacts between Russia and previous U.S. administrations, with Trump having met Putin multiple times during his presidency and Biden only once. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has emphasized that discussions about Ukraine cannot exclude Ukraine itself and expressed hope for inclusion in trilateral talks. Meanwhile, Ukrainian military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov urged national unity and resilience ahead of the meeting, reaffirming Ukraine's ongoing fight against Russian aggression. The White House, through Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, highlighted economic improvements under Trump’s administration and referenced the upcoming Trump-Putin meeting. Preparations are underway with senior officials from the U.S., Ukraine, and European countries coordinating their positions in advance of the talks, reflecting the broader geopolitical stakes involved.