White House doesn’t expect Trump-Putin summit to end with peace and trade deals

According to the White House, Friday’s meeting between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Anchorage, Alaska, will not end with a ceasefire or sweeping trade agreements.

Officials say the meeting is meant for Trump to judge Putin directly and decide if there is a real path toward ending the war in Ukraine. The plan is to use this as a step toward a possible three-way meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the future.

A senior White House official described the purpose as “trusting Trump’s instincts.” Trump has complained before about Putin’s “bullshit” and habit of double talk, but this time the administration says there are signs worth testing.

Putin has given Trump a written plan, something the White House says may not be viable, but at least puts an idea on paper.

Trump to meet without preconditions in Alaska

Special envoy Steve Witkoff returned from Russia last week and told Trump that Putin wanted a meeting. Trump agreed to attend after hearing that request, seeing it as a sign worth exploring. 

The White House has not revealed the details of Putin’s plan. However, Trump and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte have said that the idea of trading land for peace has been mentioned. Zelenskyy has rejected this outright.

Trump’s decision to meet without preconditions reflects his belief that he can quickly determine Putin’s intentions. Another White House official said that after the meeting, Trump will be in a position to judge whether Putin is serious about peace.

On Monday, Trump said he could tell within “two minutes” if progress was possible, adding that his response could be either “lots of luck, keep fighting” or “we can make a deal.”

A person familiar with the administration’s thinking noted that Zelenskyy’s position has been weakened by corruption allegations, something that could give Putin an opening. That person said the situation is now moving toward Trump having to make a direct judgment on Putin’s motives.

European leaders prepare separate talks

While the Alaska summit is being prepared, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz will hold a virtual meeting on Wednesday with Trump, Zelenskyy, and European leaders. 

That meeting will cover possible pressure tactics against Russia, questions about territories seized by Russian forces, security guarantees for Kyiv, and the order in which any peace negotiations could take place.

White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt called Friday’s talks “a listening exercise for the president.” She stressed that only one party in the conflict will be present, so the meeting is intended to give Trump a stronger sense of whether ending the war is possible. She repeated that the administration is not expecting a ceasefire to come out of this first session.

The Alaska meeting will be one-on-one between Trump and Putin. The White House also confirmed that Trump may visit Russia in the future, with Leavitt saying, “Perhaps there are plans in the future to travel to Russia.” 

For now, the focus remains on this first meeting, which the administration views as the starting point for any possible diplomatic progress involving Ukraine and NATO partners.