This is it - Friday, August 15th, 2025, the day of the Great Alaska Summit between America's President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. While Ukraine is sure to be the primary topic. President Trump has stated many times that his goal is to end the Russo-Ukrainian War. However, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky is conspicuous by his absence, despite President Trump's assurances that he will be included in negotiating any final deal, which belabors the obvious.
This may well be the biggest political event to happen in the Great Land since World War 2; perhaps since statehood. Alaska's Governor Dunleavy, speaking to Fox News on Friday, noted why Alaska is the logical place for this meeting.
Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy explained why it "makes sense" for President Donald Trump to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in his state Friday.
"We are very close to Russia, two and a half miles between two islands, 50 miles between the coastline," Dunleavy told "The Story" Wednesday. "And so it makes sense for it to be here in many respects."
Trump and Putin are set to meet face-to-face in Anchorage at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson – Alaska’s largest military installation. The summit marks the first time in 10 years that Putin has been hosted on American soil.
It's anyone's guess, as yet, what will come of all this. This may lay some solid ground for further talks that include Ukraine. Or it may end up with another Reykjavik 1986 moment, where President Reagan walked away from the table, leaving Soviet Premier Gorbachev without a nuclear weapons deal.
Dunleavy described his hopes for the summit and what the "endgame" in resolving the war would look like.
"It's our hope, I think, along with the rest of the world, that something positive comes out of this discussion with the president," Dunleavy discussed. "Certainly, President Zelensky has to be part of the endgame. And I think after this meeting, we'll see where that goes."
But hopefully, things move quickly," he continued. "I hope so for the Ukrainian people and for others in the world, but... again, I think he's going to take a look at Putin, decide if this is something that's going to work in terms of discussions, negotiations, and hopefully a peace, or some alternative avenue to end this war."
Watch:
Governor Dunleavy: Obviously it's about peace. If we can get this thing taken care of and wrapped up, with President Trump, President Putin and then, President Zelensky, I think it bodes well for the world. My understanding is right now, it's just going to be President Trump and President Putin, talking, and meeting, and setting the groundwork, I hope, for a lasting peace.
That much is certain, but it sure looks like the stumbling block will be territory. Tsar Vladimir I has not expressed any willingness to surrender any territory Russia holds now, while President Zelensky has said repeatedly that Ukraine will not surrender any land for peace.
Governor Dunleavy went on to describe the agenda as we know it, at least so far:
Governor Dunleavy: My understanding is that the president will get there, at the base, and then the Russian president will land, and the president will kind of all be out, on the tarmac, getting ready to welcome the Russian president to Alaska. But I think it's going to happen pretty quick. (The) president will land, we'll all get ready, and then Putin will land. Then, after the introductions, the actual heart of this whole exercise will take place. Again, I think it's interesting because President Trump said he's going to take the measure of the man. He's going to look him in the eye, and he's going to determine pretty quick how serious Putin is about peace. And again, if it's a short meeting, then we know that maybe he wasn't. If it's a much longer meeting, then maybe that bodes well for the future peace talks, which we hope happen soon.
That last statement is key. Watch for the duration of this conference. If President Trump walks in, talks with President Putin for a brief spell, then walks out, that will be a bad sign. The longer the talks go on, the more chance there will be that President Trump is wrangling some kind of concessions out of President Putin.
Read More: New: The Alaska Summit Planned to Take Place on JBER
Trump Arriving in Alaska Friday for Meet-Up With Putin, and the Local Left Has Big Plans
The Russo-Ukrainian War has dragged on long enough. It's hard to see any negotiated peace coming now with a complete return of all lands to Ukraine; I've been saying and writing for some time now that the best Ukraine can probably hope for is a return to the status quo ante, wherein Russia keeps Crimea and the vital Black Sea port at Sevastopol, and returns the lands in eastern Ukraine. But Russia, only days ago, launched a major offensive in the Donetsk region, which is one of the disputed areas. This isn't the act of a country willing to just withdraw from these territories without any concessions.
Indeed, that may be one major point of contention. Russia, as I see it, will not surrender Crimea, period. If President Zelensky thinks that will happen, he's kidding himself. Ukraine can't take Crimea back, and Russia won't give it back.
Today's the day. Later this afternoon, we'll know more. Stay tuned.
Editor's Note: The Trump administration is exposing Barack Obama and his administration's Russian Collusion Hoax.
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