Russian President Vladimir Putin is crediting President Donald J. Trump’s administration with making “energetic and sincere” efforts to end the Ukraine conflict — setting the stage for a potentially historic summit between the two leaders in Alaska this Friday.

In his first public remarks since Trump announced the meeting, Putin gathered senior Russian officials at the Kremlin on Thursday to review the status of U.S.–Russia negotiations. “The current American administration… is making, in my opinion, quite energetic and sincere efforts to stop the hostilities, stop the crisis and reach agreements that are of interest to all parties involved in this conflict,” Putin said, according to CNN.

Putin emphasized that the summit’s goal is to “create long-term conditions for peace between our countries, as well as in Europe, and in the world as a whole.” He also hinted that Washington and Moscow could use the meeting to begin crafting a new agreement on strategic nuclear weapons control — an issue of global consequence with the New START treaty set to expire in February 2026.

That treaty, signed in 2010 and implemented in 2011, placed strict limits on the number of deployed intercontinental-range nuclear weapons in both countries. The clock is now ticking on its renewal or replacement.

The Alaska talks come amid heightened tensions. Earlier this month, President Trump confirmed he had ordered two nuclear submarines deployed near Russia following what he called “highly provocative” threats from Dmitry Medvedev, the former Russian president and current deputy chairman of the Security Council. Medvedev has repeatedly rattled the nuclear saber on social media, but Trump said his move was a precaution “in case these foolish and inflammatory statements are more than just that.”

Putin’s foreign policy aide, Yury Ushakov, said the summit will begin with a one-on-one meeting between the presidents, joined only by translators, followed by an expanded working lunch. Talks will focus on ending the Ukraine war, as well as exploring trade and economic cooperation. A joint press conference is planned afterward.

Notably, neither Ukraine nor European Union leaders have been invited to the meeting — fueling concerns in Kyiv and Brussels that the West may pressure Ukraine into territorial concessions.

European leaders held last-minute calls with President Trump on Wednesday, urging him to maintain a strong position in support of Ukraine’s sovereignty. They emerged with what they described as “cautious optimism,” saying Trump appeared sympathetic to their calls for a quick ceasefire and Ukraine’s inclusion in any future negotiations.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, however, is holding firm. Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, he vowed not to cede the eastern Donbas region to Russia, warning that doing so would set the stage for an even larger conflict.

“For the Russians, Donbas is a springboard for a future new offensive. If we leave Donbas of our own accord or under pressure, we will start a third war,” Zelensky said. “I am not going to surrender my country because I have no right to do so. If we leave Donbas today, our fortifications, our terrain, the heights we control, we will clearly open a bridgehead for the preparation of a Russian offensive.”

Russia seized Crimea in 2014 and launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 — a war that continues to claim thousands of lives and destabilize Europe. The Alaska summit could mark the first major step toward ending it under Trump’s second term, or it could set the stage for a new round of geopolitical brinkmanship.