Zelenskyy could take part in Trump-Putin meeting - CBS

Today, Trump announced that he will meet with Putin on August 15. Their meeting will take place in Alaska.

“The highly anticipated meeting between myself, as President of the United States of America, and President Vladimir Putin, of Russia, will take place next Friday, August 15, 2025, in the Great State of Alaska,” Trump said.

So far, Ukraine has not commented on Trump’s statement. However, sources from CBS News say that Zelenskyy may participate in some way in the Trump-Putin meeting.

At the same time, Putin’s aide has already made a statement regarding his meeting with Trump.

Putin’s assistant, Yuri Ushakov, said that during the meeting in Alaska, Putin and Trump will focus on discussing options for achieving a long-term resolution to the war in Ukraine.

Meeting will take place in Alaska

Why Alaska was chosen as the location for the Trump-Putin meeting is unknown. However, it’s worth recalling the historical fact that Alaska once belonged to the Russian Empire. Russia’s main interest in the region was hunting sea otters and seals. Due to the difficult conditions of maintaining the colony and declining profits, the empire began considering selling Alaska as a profitable move.

That is why in 1867, Russia sold Alaska to the US for $7.2 million in gold, which is considered one of the most advantageous deals in American history.

The transfer of Alaska took place on October 18 of the same year: the Russian flag was lowered over the colony’s capital, and the American flag was raised. Initially, many in the US viewed the deal skeptically, calling it Seward’s Folly - named after Secretary of State William Seward, who initiated the purchase. However, over time, discoveries of gold, oil, and other resources transformed Alaska into a strategically and economically important territory for the US.