Trump and Putin meet in Alaska, which may facilitate trilateral talks between the US, Russia, and Ukraine.

On August 12, during a press conference at the White House, U.S. President Trump said that his meeting with Russian President Putin on the 15th in the state of Alaska would be a "trial meeting," the outcome could be "good or bad," but he believes that both sides will engage in "constructive dialogue."

Trump said that he could know the outcome within two minutes of the meeting starting because he is "in the business of making deals." Trump stated that after the Alaska meeting between the U.S. and Russian leaders, he hopes to "eventually" arrange a meeting between Ukrainian President Zelensky and Putin, and if necessary, a trilateral meeting involving the leaders of the U.S., Russia, and Ukraine could be held. Trump also mentioned that after an agreement is reached between Russia and Ukraine, trade volume between the U.S. and Russia might increase.