US President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin will meet at the Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage in Alaska.

Source: CNN, citing White House sources

Details: The sources stated that the US and Russian sides had concluded after lengthy behind-the-scenes discussions that the only location that "would meet the security requirements for the historic meeting" was the Elmendorf-Richardson military base on the northern outskirts of Anchorage. Meanwhile, CNN noted that the White House had tried to avoid the scenario of hosting the Russian delegation on a US military base.

Quote: "There were few places that would work for the sit-down, the people said, particularly given a war crimes warrant issued for Putin’s arrest by the International Criminal Court in 2023.

With that fact looming, Russia balked at a European destination – even in a city like Vienna or Geneva, where US and Russian leaders have met dating back to the Cold War. While Putin himself raised the United Arab Emirates as an 'entirely suitable' location, many inside the White House hoped to avoid another lengthy trek to the Middle East after Trump’s visit in May."

Details: The sources said the final choice had come down to Alaska and Hungary, but Putin unexpectedly "agreed to a meeting on US soil – on land that once was part of the Russian empire".

"I thought it was very respectful that the president of Russia is coming to our country as opposed to us going to his country or even a third-party place," Trump emphasised this week. [N.B. Ukrainska Pravda does not recognise Putin as president – ed.]

Background: 

• On 8 August, Trump announced the planned meeting with Putin in Alaska on 15 August.
• The White House said that the initiative to hold a meeting between Trump and Putin during Special Envoy Steve Witkoff’s visit to Moscow had come from the Russian side.
• Trump expects his meeting with Putin in Alaska on 15 August to be "good", but does not rule out negative outcomes.
• US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the summit in Alaska is not a victory for the Kremlin and should not be seen as a concession to Putin. He said the meeting would be of an introductory nature, during which Trump wants to make his own assessment of the situation by looking "this guy in the eye".
• Meanwhile, Rubio admitted that the talks will be difficult, as "this war means a lot to Putin".

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