Trump could join a short list of Western leaders to meet Putin since the invasion. 

Are we on the verge of a major breakthrough for peace in Ukraine? 

President Trump and Russia’s Vladimir Putin have reportedly agreed to meet face-to-face later this week. 

The meeting, which will take place somewhere in Alaska, represents a major shift in the West’s approach to Russia. 

In the three-and-a-half years since Putin launched his illegal assault on Ukraine, Western leaders have made Russia a pariah: imposing sanctions on Russia and its trading partners, cutting off most diplomatic engagement, and providing billions in military and economic aid to Ukraine. 

Only a handful of Western leaders have met in person with Putin since the war began:  

This will easily be Putin’s biggest meeting since launching the attack, and potentially the most serious attempt yet to bring both sides to the negotiating table. 

It will also be a sharp break from recent U.S. diplomacy. Presidents have steadily moved away from regular, direct engagement with Putin this century:  

The Trump–Putin meeting cuts directly against that pattern. It could test whether direct engagement can open a path to de-escalation or confirm why so many leaders have avoided it.  

Either way, it will likely be a defining moment in the war, with the potential to reset the trajectory of U.S.–Russia relations for years to come.