Ahead of the meeting, Trump appeared to place the onus of ending the war on the Ukrainian leader, while emphasizing that Ukraine must give up Russian-annexed Crimea and its hopes of joining NATO — key Kremlin demands.

At what was billed as an “historic” presidential summit, hastily put together in Alaska on Friday afternoon, the optics were as clear and overshadowing as the vast Chugach mountains glistening over Anchorage in the summer sun.

President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are scheduled to meet Friday at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, to discuss the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.