Trump on the sidelines of the UN: 'We already had a meeting in Alaska, I think we'll have another one'

US President Donald Trump stated that he does not rule out holding a repeat in-person meeting with Russian leader Vladimir Putin. According to RBC-Ukraine, this was said during the broadcast of Trump's talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on the sidelines of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly, which is taking place in September 2026. "We already had a meeting in Alaska. I think we'll have another one," the American leader said, answering journalists' questions.

Context: the 81st UN General Assembly session and bilateral talks

Trump's address at the General Assembly podium and the subsequent bilateral meeting with Zelensky became the central diplomatic events of the current UN session. Upon arriving at the GA venue, the American leader was asked by journalists what message he would like to convey to the head of the Russian state. Trump's answer was extremely brief: "Stop the war." This phrase, delivered publicly and captured on live broadcast, became Washington's main diplomatic signal to Moscow at the current stage of the conflict.

"Sooner than people realize": Trump's forecast on the end of the war

In his address at the 81st UN General Assembly session, Donald Trump stated that the war in Ukraine will end "sooner than people realize." This remark came against the backdrop of the conflict having already lasted more than 1,300 days since the full-scale invasion. The Ukrainian side, for its part, expressed cautious optimism: Volodymyr Zelensky, during the same meeting, stated that he hopes for the end of hostilities by the winter of 2026 with the assistance of the American president.

Alaska as a precedent: what is known about the first meeting

Trump's reference to the already-held meeting in Alaska points to the events of August 2025, when, according to RFI reports, the American leader announced talks with Putin on Alaskan territory without the presence of the Ukrainian side. At that time, Trump characterized the upcoming summit as a "feel-out" — a test of Moscow's readiness for dialogue. By September 2026, as it follows from Trump's own words on the sidelines of the UN, this meeting took place and, apparently, laid the foundation for discussing the format of a repeat contact.

Contradictory data

The provided sources contain no direct discrepancies in dates or figures. Nevertheless, it is worth noting a methodological difference in presentation: RBC-Ukraine broadcasts Trump's words in the context of the current (2026) UN session, whereas RFI materials (August 2025) record the announcement and preparation of the Alaskan meeting as a future event. This is not a contradiction but a chronological shift: by September 2026, the Alaska meeting moved from the "announced" category to the "held" category. At the same time, none of the additional sources contains independent confirmation of the exact date and results of the Alaskan summit, leaving a gap in the verification of the details of that event.

Kyiv's expectations and the diplomatic landscape

For the Ukrainian side, the meeting between Trump and Zelensky on the sidelines of the UN GA confirmed that Kyiv remains at the epicenter of the negotiation track, not on the periphery. Zelensky's statement about hoping to end the war by winter with Washington's mediation indicates that the Ukrainian leadership views the American president as a key figure in any potential peaceful settlement. At the same time, the phrasing "does not rule out" regarding a repeat meeting with Putin leaves room for maneuver: Trump did not confirm the date, format, or even the fact of holding a new summit, limiting himself to expressing readiness.