More than 200 days after Donald Trump’s self-imposed deadline to end Russia’s war against Ukraine on the first day of his second term, the White House is quietly acknowledging that his upcoming summit with Russian president Vladimir Putin isn’t likely to result in a ceasefire.
The president and his Russian counterpart are set to meet Friday for a hastily arranged sit-down in Alaska, giving Putin the honor of being welcomed onto American territory by an American president and bringing an end to the international isolation he has faced since launching the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
