The White House said Tuesday that President Donald Trump will frame his face-to-face meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Anchorage, Alaska, on Friday as a “listening exercise,” signalling that Washington is not expecting an immediate breakthrough on ending the war in Ukraine. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters the one-on-one session—requested by Putin—is intended to give Trump “a more firm and better understanding” of Russia’s position. Because only one of the two belligerents will be present, Leavitt cautioned that any cease-fire or peace proposal will still require Kyiv’s participation. She added that Trump may consider a future trip to Russia, but no plans have been finalised. Trump has previously suggested that a peace deal could involve territorial concessions, an idea Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders have rejected. The White House said Trump will hold a virtual consultation with Zelensky and allied leaders this week but declined to outline any pre-summit commitments. The Alaska talks will be the first direct encounter between the two presidents since 2019 and come amid renewed diplomatic efforts to halt the 3½-year conflict. U.S. officials emphasised that Friday’s meeting is not a negotiation but an initial fact-finding step to gauge Moscow’s willingness to pursue a broader settlement.