U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold a bilateral summit in Anchorage, Alaska, on Friday, their first face-to-face meeting since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. The talks are expected to focus on the possibility of halting the war, now in its fourth year, and will take place without Ukrainian participation. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said the meeting will be an "important test" of whether Putin is serious about ending the conflict. Speaking on CBS’s “Face the Nation,” Rutte argued that only Trump can determine the Kremlin’s intentions and that a credible ceasefire will ultimately require Ukraine and European allies to join follow-on negotiations. Trump told reporters he will know "within the first two minutes" whether a deal is possible, describing the gathering as a "feel-out" session. He has signaled that any agreement could involve land swaps and warned of additional sanctions if Moscow shows no flexibility, while also leaving open the prospect of normalizing trade should progress be made. European officials are preparing their own coordination effort. Germany has invited Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Rutte and other leaders to a virtual meeting on Wednesday to align positions ahead of the Alaska summit. Ukrainian and U.S. lawmakers have voiced concern that Kyiv must eventually be at the table, even as Kyiv’s ambassador expressed hope the one-on-one encounter will pressure Putin to stop the war.