White House Says Alaska Summit with Putin Will Be a ‘Listening Exercise’ for Trump

White House Calls Upcoming Trump–Putin Alaska Summit a ‘Listening Exercise’

The White House has described President Donald Trump’s August 15 meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Anchorage, Alaska, as “a listening exercise for the president.”

Spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said Trump agreed to the talks to gain a clearer understanding of how to end the war in Ukraine. “Sitting face to face rather than speaking over the telephone will give this President the best indication of how to end this war,” she said, adding that Trump is “determined to stop the killing.”

The administration declined to comment on Trump’s recent call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy but said he holds “deep respect” for all parties. Trump has previously suggested that a peace deal could involve territorial swaps — an idea Zelenskyy rejected, insisting Ukraine “will not give land to the occupier” and calling for “a real, lasting peace immediately.”

The Alaska summit will be Trump’s first in-person meeting with Putin since returning to office, and Putin’s first US visit in a decade. The Russian leader last travelled to the US in 2015 to meet President Barack Obama during the UN General Assembly in New York.