How does it go?
The two leaders meet at 11 local time, 21 Swedish time, at the military base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage in Alaska. First, Trump and Putin meet alone, only in the company of their translators. Later, the meeting is expanded to include the presidents' delegations. Donald Trump has said that he will know "in a few minutes" if it is a good meeting or not. If it is bad, it will be over quickly, the president has said according to US media.
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What is on the agenda?
The war in Ukraine. Donald Trump, who during the election campaign promised a quick end to the war, has hinted that "territorial exchanges" may become relevant. But at a digital summit between Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyj, European leaders, and Trump on Wednesday, it was emphasized that Trump cannot or may not negotiate about Ukrainian land cessions. That can only be done by Ukraine.
Trump has toned down expectations for the meeting in recent days and said that he will primarily listen. There are rumors that he may consider sweetening a proposal for a ceasefire by offering Russia rare earth metals. From the Russian side, it is said that agreements on nuclear arms control may be raised.
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How does the outside world view the meeting?
The meeting has been criticized for Ukraine's President Zelenskyj not participating, and as it is seen by some as a concession to Russia, which started the full-scale invasion war in 2022. President Trump has, however, said that a three-party meeting may come into place very quickly if Friday's talks go well, possibly even in Alaska.
In Russia, Vladimir Putin's trip to Anchorage is seen as a major victory, as it means an end to the diplomatic isolation that Moscow has been subject to after the illegal annexation of Ukrainian Crimea in 2014 and the subsequent full-scale invasion. State-controlled Russian media describe the visit as "a total collapse" of attempts to isolate Russia, writes The New York Times.
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What do Ukrainians think?
A majority of Ukrainians, 57 percent, say that they are not ready to give up land or change Ukraine's western-oriented direction to achieve peace with Russia, according to an opinion poll published by the think tank Razumkov Center in May.
69 percent of the population say they are in favor of a negotiated solution to the war that makes it end as soon as possible, shows a recent survey from Gallup. The proportion who believe that the fighting should continue until Ukraine wins has decreased from 73 percent at the beginning of the war to 24 percent.
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What happens after the meeting?
There are reports that Trump and Putin will hold a joint press conference, but it depends on how the talks go. Both Trump and Putin have booked return trips to their hometowns directly after the meeting.
