Trump meets Putin in Alaska, hopes for Ukraine peace

President Trump is heading to Alaska this morning to meet face-to-face with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

(NBC)- President Trump is heading to Alaska this morning to meet face-to-face with Russian President Vladimir Putin, hoping to move closer to ending Russia’s three-year assault on Ukraine.

“If it’s a bad meeting, it’ll end very quickly, and if it’s a good meeting, we’re going to end up getting peace in the pretty near future,” Trump said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was not invited to the Alaska talks, but Trump hopes for a swift follow-up that includes all parties. “All I want to do is set the table for the next meeting, which should happen shortly,” he said.

Meanwhile, Zelenskyy is meeting with European allies this week, signaling continued support for Ukraine and a commitment to prioritize a ceasefire and security guarantees over any discussion of giving up Ukrainian territory.

“The President’s hope is to achieve some stoppage of fighting so that those conversations can happen,” said Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is among the high-level U.S. officials joining the talks.

The Alaska summit will include a one-on-one session between Trump and Putin and will be capped by a press conference, though it’s unclear whether both presidents will take questions.

During the 2018 Helsinki summit, Trump faced criticism for appearing to defer to Putin over Russian meddling in the 2016 election. In recent weeks, he has sharpened his tone as Putin has defied repeated calls to halt the violence in Ukraine.