The Putin-Trump Alaska summit: What you need to know

Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet with his US counterpart, Donald Trump, on Friday in Alaska.

The summit is expected to focus on seeking a resolution to the Ukraine conflict, as well as broader Russia-US bilateral relations.

Here is what you need to know.

Closest US state to Russia

The meeting will take place in the state of Alaska, the edge of which lies just a few dozen miles across the Bering Strait from the Russian border.

The meeting will begin on Friday morning at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Kremlin foreign policy aide Yury Ushakov told journalists on Thursday.

A number of Soviet pilots, servicemen, and civilians who died during the Second World War while ferrying planes under the Lend-Lease agreement are buried near the US military base, he said. The area is a “historically important place, a reminder of the military brotherhood of the peoples of our countries,” the Kremlin aide noted.

Peace talks and more

The central issue of the summit is expected to be the Ukraine conflict. Trade and economic issues, and other bilateral cooperation will also be discussed, according to the Kremlin.

Putin said on Thursday during a meeting with members of the Russian delegation that Trump’s administration was making “quite energetic and sincere efforts” to end the crisis and “create long-term conditions for peace between our countries.”

The Kremlin indicated on Thursday that no documents are expected to be signed as a result of the meeting.

Trump has described the summit as a “feel-out meeting” intended to help him better understand Putin’s position. He has also suggested that any potential settlement in Ukraine could involve territorial exchanges with Russia, and has dismissed Ukrainian reservations about such swaps.

Neither Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky nor leaders from Western European nations have been invited to the talks.