As U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin prepare to meet this week in Alaska to discuss ending the war in Ukraine, many remain doubtful—especially in Ukraine.
After more than three years of war, failed peace talks, ignored ultimatums, and thousands of deaths, Kyiv continues to resist Russian forces. Optimism about progress at the August 15 Alaska talks is minimal among Ukrainians.
“There’s little hope for a positive outcome,” said one man in Kyiv to Current Time TV. “I fear the situation will drag on until the end of the current U.S. president’s term.”
Ahead of the summit, Washington has been signaling to both Kyiv and Moscow that major compromises may be required to reach an agreement—something U.S. Vice President JD Vance warned could leave both sides dissatisfied.
Moscow has repeatedly rejected meeting directly with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, insisting such a meeting could only happen once a final peace deal is ready, not just a ceasefire. Deep disagreements over territory and security remain, despite three rounds of direct talks in Turkey since mid-May.
Putin last week reaffirmed his refusal to meet Zelensky until certain “conditions” are met—conditions he admitted are still “far away.”
“I expect nothing from the meeting. My hopes rest only on the Ukrainian army,” one woman in Kyiv told reporters.
The Alaska meeting comes at a tense moment, with Trump reportedly frustrated with Putin but still confident that his personal rapport could lead to a lasting peace agreement. For Putin, a bilateral meeting without Ukrainian representation is a symbolic win, reinforcing his stance that Zelensky is illegitimate and that peace can only be negotiated directly with the United States.
The trip to the U.S. also marks a personal victory for Putin, who faces an International Criminal Court arrest warrant for alleged war crimes—though the U.S., under Trump, is openly hostile toward the ICC and is not bound by its rulings.
Still, some Ukrainians cling to faint hope.
“I expect nothing,” another Kyiv resident said. “But I hope—like my friends—that Trump will do something.”
