(MENAFN) A top Russian presidential aide, Yury Ushakov, confirmed on Saturday that Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump will meet on August 15 in Alaska. Ushakov highlighted the practical benefits of holding the summit there, pointing out Alaska’s close geographic proximity to Russia across the Bering Strait.

He stated, "The American side has just announced an agreement reached to arrange a meeting between the presidents of Russia and the US, Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump, on Aug. 15, Friday, in Alaska. Russia and the US are close neighbors, sharing a common border. It seems quite logical for our delegation simply to fly across the Bering Strait and for the important and anticipated summit of leaders of these two countries to take place precisely in Alaska."

Trump had earlier shared on social media his expectation to meet Putin in Alaska on that date. This will be their first face-to-face meeting since Trump resumed office in January.

Ushakov also noted that Alaska and the Arctic hold significant strategic value for both nations, offering opportunities for major joint projects. However, the main focus of the talks will be "discussing options for achieving lasting peace in settling the Ukrainian crisis."

Preparations for the summit are underway, described by Ushakov as a "challenging process" requiring intense cooperation from both sides. He added, "In the coming days, Moscow and Washington will dedicate themselves to intense practical and political preparation for the high-level meeting in Alaska. This promises to be a difficult process, but we will engage in it actively and intensively."

The Kremlin indicated that the next meeting between the two presidents is expected to take place in Russia following the Alaska summit.

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