DONALD Trump and Vladimir Putin are just hours away from holding a historic one-on-one meeting which could shape global politics.
The world’s eyes are poised on Alaska today as leaders of both superpowers prepare to sit down in a peace summit that could decide the fate of Ukraine.
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On Thursday afternoon, Trump likened the high-stakes talks to a game of chess as he warned there is a 25 per cent chance it could end in failure.
He also vowed that Putin “is not going to mess around with me”, insisting the Russian leader “wants a deal” but would face consequences if he becomes greedy.
Trump and Putin are set to meet one-on-one at Elmendorf-Richardson base near Anchorage at 11.30am local time (8.30pm UK) — under extraordinary security.
Putin, who rarely travels abroad since launching his full-scale invasion, will arrive with his feared “Musketeers” bodyguards.
They are notorious for coming armed with everything from armour-piercing pistols to the infamous nuclear briefcase — and even a “poo suitcase” to stop any analysis of Vlad’s health.
The Cold War-era military base has been locked down by US and Russian forces since the meeting was announced last week.
Over 32,000 troops, air defences, and electronic jamming systems are all in place waiting for today’s link up.
The crunch talks will be followed by a joint press conference by both leaders.
The main topic of the meeting will be crisis in Ukraine with Trump pushing to strike a deal with the Kremlin to end the bloodshed.
Also on the agenda will be trade and economic cooperation, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov added.
Trump and Putin will also have a wider meeting with delegations from Washington and Moscow.
They will then attend a working lunch with their security entourage.
For Trump, the meeting stands as a chance to bring peace to war-torn Ukraine and end a conflict which he said would never have started if he were the president back in 2022.
And for Putin, the meeting will decide how much territory he can grab before ending his bloody assault.
The Russian leader, who has consistently rejected calls for a ceasefire, said that he wants peace but that his demands for ending his invasion were “unchanged”.
One major sticking point for Moscow is the annexation of more Ukrainian territory – one of Putin’s long-term demands.
It is understood that Trump will try to convince Putin to make peace by offering him deals and concessions.
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Though Washington has said that it will not engage in any agreement on a final peace deal without Ukraine’s formal involvement in the negotiations.
Trump has insisted a deal won’t be made without Ukraine’s blessing with a second meeting set to be arranged soon.
He hinted at a more “important” second round of talks taking place “very quickly” — this time with Volodymyr Zelensky and “maybe some European leaders” in the room.
Putin has tried to sweeten the mood, praising Trump’s “sincere efforts” for peace, even as Zelensky warns he is “bluffing”.
If Putin agrees to a possible ceasefire, both leaders will reach the next stage of peace-making, where they are expected to hold a trilateral meeting with Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky.
Trump has vowed “very severe consequences” if this turns out to be the case.
Zelensky, fresh from meetings with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and UK PM Sir Keir Starmer, has warned that any talks without Ukraine risk disaster.
Don, who hails himself as a great dealmaker, is said to be planning to present a money-making deal to lure sanctions-hit Putin into peace-making.
The deal will include opening up Alaska’s natural resources to Moscow and lifting some of the American sanctions on Russia’s aviation industry, The Telegraph revealed.
Proposals also include giving Putin access to the rare earth minerals in the Ukrainian territories currently occupied by Russia.
Trump is seemingly betting on Russia‘s current economy, which has been hit hard by global sanctions since he launched his illegal invasion of Ukraine.
There is also a chance that the meeting could go south as Trump warned that the Russians risk facing “very severe consequences” if they continue to bomb Ukraine and kill innocent civilians.
The last face-to-face meet
DONALD Trump and Vladimir Putin last met in person at the G20 summit in Osaka, Japan, on June 28, 2019.
It was during Trump’s first term as the president of America.
The meeting is widely remembered for a moment where Trump, with a smile, publicly warned the Russian leader: “Don’t meddle in the election, please.”
Their private discussions reportedly touched upon arms control, trade, and regional security issues
More than anyone else, the meeting will be key to European leaders who have long supported Ukraine and warned against future Russian aggression.
Zelensky and European leaders are likely to reject any settlement proposals by the US that demand Ukraine give up further land.
They want to freeze the current frontline as it is – giving away the territory already being held by the Russians.
Zelensky has reiterated that Ukraine will not cede any further territory to Russia.
But it may not be up to the embattled leader if he is presented with a take it or leave it offer in the latter stages of the peace process.
Trump announced on Friday that the only way to resolve the issues is for both sides to accept losses of land.
He said: “It’s complicated, actually. Nothing is easy. It’s very complicated.
“We’re going to get some switched. There’ll be some swapping of territories to the betterment of both.”
The MAGA president said he would try to return territory to Ukraine.
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Don added: “Russia has occupied a big portion of Ukraine. They’ve occupied some very prime territory.
“We’re going to try and get some of that territory back for Ukraine.”
After Trump held a call with the European leaders on Thursday, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz confirmed that Trump reaffirmed that Trump would not negotiate territorial issues with Putin.
Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron will not be engaging in any “schemes for territory swaps” during the summit.
The summit is set to take place at Elmendorf-Richardson base, one of the most strategic locations in the Arctic.
Bristling with troops from the US Air Force, Army, Navy and Marine Corps, as well as National Guardsmen and Reserves, it is a symbolic location for both the US and Russia.
