President Trump will meet President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage on Friday, according to a White House official familiar with the planning.
The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to reveal internal planning, said that Mr. Trump was expected to make what amounted to a day trip to Alaska to meet with Mr. Putin, who has continued to push Russian troops into Ukrainian territory in hopes of a battlefield advantage.
Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, told reporters during a news briefing on Tuesday that the two men were expected to meet one on one. She described the meeting as a “listening exercise” for Mr. Trump, and said that seeing Mr. Putin would give him a better idea of the Russian leader’s plans.
“The president is agreeing to this meeting at the request of President Putin,” she said. “And the goal of this meeting for the president is to walk away with a better understanding of how we can end this war.”
Mr. Trump has visited the Anchorage base several times since he first took office in 2017; Friday’s meeting will be his first stop in Alaska since returning to office in January. Meeting on the base would make it easier for Mr. Trump to make a short trip, the official said, adding that an American military base offered extra security.
In 2018, Mr. Trump and Mr. Putin met alone, save for interpreters, for more than two hours during a summit held in Helsinki, Finland. CNN earlier reported the location of Friday’s meeting.
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