Russian eyes talks on bilateral ties with US in Alaska, US warns Russia of intensified sanctions

AS the one-on-one meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Alaska is just around the corner, Russia hopes the upcoming meeting between the two leaders should focus on discussions on all accumulated issues in bilateral relations, while the United States has warned Russia of "severe consequences" if the meeting does not progress smoothly.

AI Brief

Trump and Putin will meet privately in Anchorage to address key issues in US-Russia relations, including Ukraine.
The US may intensify or ease sanctions depending on the outcome, with calls for European support on secondary sanctions.
Russia views the meeting as vital for peace, while Trump hints at a possible trilateral summit with Ukraine if talks go well.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced on Tuesday that Trump and Putin will hold a meeting on Friday in Anchorage, Alaska, and the meeting between the two leaders will be "one-on-one."

Alexey Fedeyev, deputy director of the Information and Press Department of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said at a regular press conference on Wednesday that Russia believes this meeting is of great significance from the perspective of ensuring international peace and stability.

This meeting should allow the two leaders to focus on discussions on all accumulated issues in the bilateral relations, he said.

Regarding the possibility of the two presidents discussing the swapping of territories between Russia and Ukraine, Fedeyev said that the goals of the Russian delegation's visit to the United States for negotiations will be determined by Russia's national interests.

He also said that Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will also attend the meeting in Alaska.

In an interview with U.S. media on Wednesday, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that "if things don't go well, then sanctions or secondary tariffs could go up."

He said Trump would inform Putin of the various options the United States might consider, such as intensifying sanctions, easing them, or indefinitely extending current sanctions.

Bessent also called on European countries to join in implementing secondary sanctions against Russia.

Trump warned on Wednesday that there will be "very severe consequences" if Putin doesn't agree to a ceasefire with Ukraine during their meeting in Alaska.

The U.S. president also said that if the Alaska meeting "goes okay," he hopes to hold a trilateral meeting with Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky soon.