Fresh off the high of overseeing a peace deal between Armenia and Azerbaijan, President Donald Trump is ramping up his efforts to broker peace between Russia and Ukraine. Ahead of a potential meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska next week,

A diplomatic scramble unfolded Saturday after President Donald Trump announced he would meet his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, next week in Alaska, as European leaders rushed to understand the terms of the meeting and ensure Ukraine was not being left out of discussions about its future.

Alaska is the "most fitting" location for the summit between presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, the state's governor has said. Mike Dunleavy posted on X that Alaska's location, which at its closest point is only 2 miles from Russia, makes it "the most strategic location" for the leaders to discuss the war in Ukraine on August 15.