U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold their first face-to-face meeting in more than four years on Friday at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson outside Anchorage. The leaders are scheduled to begin one-on-one talks at 11:30 a.m. local time, followed by an expanded session with senior aides and a joint press conference, according to the Kremlin. Putin, speaking on Thursday, praised what he called Washington’s “energetic and sincere efforts” to halt the war in Ukraine and said he is open to discussing a fresh nuclear arms-control accord once the current New START treaty expires in 2026. Trump has framed the encounter as a make-or-break moment to push Moscow toward a cease-fire and broader settlement. In a Fox News Radio interview, Trump said he believes the Russian leader “wants to get it done” but warned of “severe consequences” if no progress is made. The U.S. president added that a successful outcome could pave the way for a second, more consequential summit that would bring Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to the table; three potential venues are under review, with Anchorage described as the simplest option. European governments have urged the White House to resist concessions on Ukrainian territory, while the Kremlin has signaled interest in linking any peace deal to sanctions relief and economic cooperation. The choice of Alaska—territory Russia sold to the United States in 1867 and home to a Cold War-era air base—underscores the historic and strategic stakes of the meeting.