The White House confirmed that U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold their first face-to-face summit of Trump’s second term on Friday, Aug. 15, at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska. The site, selected for its security and logistical advantages, was first reported by CNN and later corroborated by multiple U.S. officials. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the meeting will be a “feel-out” session aimed at gauging prospects for a cease-fire in Russia’s three-year war against Ukraine, stressing that the venue choice does not constitute a U.S. concession. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders are scheduled to confer with Trump virtually two days earlier, but will not participate in the Alaska talks. Elmendorf-Richardson houses Alaska Command, the 11th Airborne Division and the Alaskan NORAD Region, underscoring the summit’s symbolism: the base has long monitored Russian military activity across the Bering Strait. The gathering will be the first standalone meeting between a U.S. and Russian leader since the 2018 Helsinki summit and comes as Trump looks to make good on campaign pledges to end the conflict swiftly.