In a classic verbal misstep, US President Donald Trump appeared to mistakenly claim he was heading to Russia this Friday to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin, when in fact, the summit is scheduled to take place in Alaska. The comment came during a Monday press conference in Washington, DC, where Trump addressed escalating crime rates in the capital and announced plans to deploy the National Guard and take control of the city’s police force.
"You know, I'm going to see Putin. I'm going to Russia on Friday," Trump said, drawing raised eyebrows from reporters and political analysts alike. In reality, the much-anticipated summit between Trump and Putin is set to occur in Anchorage, Alaska, on August 15, 2025. The meeting aims to address the ongoing war in Ukraine and explore diplomatic options for ending the conflict that began with Russia’s invasion in February 2022.
Speaking about the summit, Trump said, "This war wouldn't have happened if I were president. This is Joe Biden's war. This is not my war. So I'm going in to speak to Vladimir Putin, and I'm going to be telling him, you've got to end this war. He wasn't going to mess with me." He continued, "I thought it was very respectful that the president of Russia is coming to our country, as opposed to us going to his country or even a third-party place. But I think we'll have constructive conversations. The next meeting will be with Zelensky and Putin—or Zelensky, Putin, and me. I'll be there if they need me, but I want to set up a meeting between the two leaders."
This is not the first time President Trump has stirred confusion with off-the-cuff remarks. Just last week, during a rally in Ohio, he wrongly stated that Hungary shares a border with Russia, a geographic error quickly corrected by fact-checkers. Earlier this year, he also claimed NATO was "created after World War II to stop China," another historical inaccuracy that went viral on social media.
On his Truth Social account, Trump had earlier confirmed the details of the summit, writing, "The highly anticipated meeting between myself, as President of the United States of America, and President Vladimir Putin, of Russia, will take place next Friday, August 15, 2025, in the Great State of Alaska."
The Alaska summit is being closely watched worldwide, as Trump seeks to pressure Putin into ending hostilities in Ukraine. Meanwhile, critics argue that Trump's gaffes, especially those involving foreign policy, could complicate the high-stakes negotiations.
Alaska was chosen as the site for the upcoming Trump-Putin summit due to its historical and geographical relevance, having been purchased by the United States from Russia in 1867 and lying just across the Bering Strait from Russian territory. Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov called the location "quite logical," citing the two nations' status as neighbours and the ease of travel for the Russian delegation. The choice also evokes diplomatic precedent, as Alaska last hosted a major international meeting in March 2021, when US and Chinese officials met in Anchorage, though that encounter quickly turned tense amid accusations of hypocrisy and condescension.
As the countdown to the summit continues, it remains to be seen whether the focus will stay on the issues at hand or be overshadowed by more of the president’s unscripted moments.
