The Kremlin said US President Donald Trump will personally greet Russian President Vladimir Putin after his plane lands in Alaska on August 15.
Trump waves before boarding Air Force One to Alaska on August 15 for the US-Russia summit. Photo: Reuters
Trump will personally greet Putin at the foot of the plane
“At exactly 11am local time (2am on August 16, Hanoi time), the presidential plane will land. President Trump will personally greet President Putin at the foot of the plane,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told state media before Putin departed for Alaska.
Peskov also told reporters that the Trump-Putin summit could last between six and seven hours, adding that Moscow hoped the meeting would be productive.
Mr. Peskov also said that during the 4-hour flight from the Russian city of Magadan to the US city of Anchorage, President Putin will carefully study and consider all issues that will be included in the agenda of the talks, including the Ukraine conflict, as well as issues in Russia-US bilateral relations, potential joint economic projects, and other regional and international issues.
Mr. Trump has never officially welcomed another head of state on the tarmac as host. On the other hand, there have been cases where foreign leaders have come to the airport to welcome Mr. Trump. In May 2025, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia went to the airport to welcome Mr. Trump.
In another development, Mr. Trump confirmed on August 15 that he had a “wonderful” call with Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko before meeting Mr. Putin.
The US president said that “the purpose of the call was to thank Mr. Lukashenko for releasing 16 prisoners,” and that the two sides are now discussing the release of “another 1,300 people.”
According to Mr. Trump, the two sides also discussed the Russia-US summit on August 15.
Ukrainians are not optimistic about the Russia-US summit
Some Ukrainians protest outside the US Embassy in Kiev on August 15, 2025. Photo: Reuters
Some Ukrainians protest outside the US Embassy in Kiev on August 15, 2025. Photo: Reuters
According to Reuters, surveys by the Kiev International Institute of Sociology show that the majority of Ukrainians surveyed want a negotiated solution to end the conflict, but are also strongly opposed to any ceasefire agreement that comes with major concessions.
Some Ukrainians interviewed by Reuters in Kiev’s central square said they were not optimistic about the summit. Some worry that Ukraine’s interests will not be taken into account.
“I don’t trust Trump. Today he says one thing, tomorrow he says something else, the day after that, another day, another five days later,” said Anna Sherstniova, 47.
Tetiana Harkavenko, 65, predicted that fighting would continue after the Russia-US summit: “Nothing good will happen there, because the conflict is a conflict, it will not end. We will not give up any territory to anyone.”
Trump has said that any deal to end the conflict would require both sides to make territorial concessions, and he wants to hold a follow-up meeting between Putin and Zelensky.
Liubomyr Yurtsiv, 26, said he did not expect much change after the meeting between the two Russian and US leaders: “Most likely the outcome will not be positive.”
Veteran Valerii Kucherenko, 31, who lost both arms in combat in 2023, had a similarly pessimistic outlook when speaking to Reuters at the pizzeria he runs in the town of Bila Tserkva, Kiev region, Ukraine.
“I hope peace will be achieved on our terms, but everyone understands that it is not simple. Putin and Trump can reach an agreement, but it will not be in our interests. That scenario is something we cannot accept,” Kucherenko said. “We are Ukrainians, and we will defend our interests to the end.”
Ukraine vows to continue drone strikes until peace deal is reached
Brigadier General Yuriy Shchygol, commander of Ukraine’s UAV forces. Photo: Sky News
Brigadier General Yuriy Shchygol, commander of Ukraine’s UAV forces. Photo: Sky News
Ukraine has said it will not slow down its long-range drone attacks that have caused heavy losses to Russia until Moscow agrees to sign a peace deal.
The statement was made in an interview with Brigadier General Yuriy Shchygol, commander of Ukraine’s UAV forces, on August 15 by Sky News (UK). The meeting took place at a secret location in the forest, outside the capital Kiev, because Mr. Shchygol is a wanted target of Russia.
According to Sky News, the UAV units commanded by Mr. Shchygol have caused billions of dollars in damage to the Russian economy, and their range and destructive power are increasing rapidly.
“Operations will continue if Russia refuses to make peace and remains present on Ukrainian territory,” Mr. Shchygol said cryptically.
“Initially, we had only a few UAVs per month, with a range of 100 to 250 kilometers. Now, we have UAVs that fly 3,000 to 4,000 kilometers, and that is still not enough.
