In a high-profile diplomatic move, US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are set to meet at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, on Friday, August 15 — their first in-person encounter in over four years, CNN reported.
The choice of venue followed an intense search for a secure location during Alaska’s busy summer tourist season. While cities like Juneau and Fairbanks were considered, most sites were deemed unsuitable for the security and logistical demands of the summit. The Anchorage military base was ultimately selected, despite initial White House hesitation over hosting a Russian delegation at a US military facility.
Local reports indicate some Alaskans even volunteered their private homes for the meeting, though it is unclear if those offers reached officials.
Preparations for the summit remain fluid, with no fixed agenda or set expectations. The White House has described it as a “listening session,” while Trump himself has called it a “feel-out” meeting aimed at personally gauging Putin’s intentions — something he believes cannot be achieved solely through phone calls, despite having spoken with the Russian leader five times this year.
On Tuesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio discussed “certain aspects” of the upcoming summit during a phone conversation, according to the Russian Foreign Ministry.
The August 15 meeting will mark a rare moment of direct engagement between Washington and Moscow amid strained relations, with the world watching closely for any diplomatic breakthroughs or signals from the closed-door talks.
