U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are scheduled to meet in Alaska on Friday in their first face-to-face talks since Russia invaded Ukraine. The White House says the goal is to explore a framework for a cease-fire that could lead to broader peace negotiations. Kyiv will not be represented at the summit, a decision that has drawn criticism from Ukrainian officials and several European capitals. “Ukrainians will not give their land to the occupier,” President Volodymyr Zelensky said, according to the Associated Press, underscoring concerns that any deal reached without Ukraine’s participation could involve territorial concessions. The Alaska meeting also faces scrutiny in Washington, where lawmakers from both parties have warned against offering sanctions relief or other incentives without verifiable Russian troop withdrawals. Diplomats familiar with the preparations said no draft agreement has been circulated and that any cease-fire plan would require eventual sign-off from Kyiv and its allies to be viable.