US President Donald Trump will meet his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin at the US Joint Military Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, today.

This will be their first meeting since Trump’s return to the White House in January this year.

Ahead of the summit, Trump said, he believes Putin is ready to end the war in Ukraine, but peace would likely require at least a second meeting involving Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.

Meanwhile, Russian president Vladimir Putin convened a meeting in the Kremlin yesterday on preparations for the summit. Putin noted that, it is necessary to reach agreements that create long-term conditions for peace between Russia and Ukraine and throughout Europe.

President Putin hinted that Moscow and Washington could strike a deal on nuclear arms control during their summit on Friday in Alaska.

Earlier, after a virtual meeting with European leaders, the US president threatened Russia with very severe consequences if Putin doesn’t agree to end the war in Ukraine. If the summit goes well, Trump suggested his goal is to move toward a trilateral meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.