August 15, the anniversary of Poland’s 1920 Battle of Warsaw, is the ideal date for talks with Russia, says Polish PM Donald Tusk. He celebrates the upcoming one‑on‑one summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Anchorage and points to Poland’s history to counter the notion that Russia is invincible.
Tusk on the Trump‑Putin Meeting
On Friday, Anchorage—Alaska’s largest city—will host a one‑on‑one meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, scheduled for 9:00 p.m. Warsaw time. The topic: ending the war in Ukraine. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk wrote on X that “August 15 is a good day for talks with Russia about war and peace,” recalling the Polish commemoration of its historic anniversary. “On that day, 105 years ago, during the Battle of Warsaw, Poles stopped the Red Army’s march into Europe. We didn’t know Russia was invincible—but we defeated it.”
Donald Trump on the way to Alaska
The U.S. delegation left Washington, D.C., around 2:00 p.m. Warsaw time, accompanied by 16 officials including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt, and U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff. Fox News quoted Trump’s brief statement before boarding; he said he would know within minutes if Putin wants to end the war in Ukraine. Trump also noted that Putin wanted to speak only with him, and that Russia’s trip to the U.S. signals a willingness to settle the issue.
Part of the Russian delegation already in the USA
Meanwhile, part of the Russian delegation arrived in the U.S., with Finance Minister Anton Siluanov landing in Anchorage to discuss economic matters. Finance Minister Kirill Dmitriev, head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund and advisor to Putin, said the Anchorage meeting matters for the entire world and that the U.S. side should learn Russia’s position. Dmitriev highlighted that the U.S. delegation will include defense and foreign affairs heads, plus Kremlin adviser Yuri Ushakov. Putin flew from Moscow earlier and stopped at Magadan en route.
Further insights
More commentary on Ukraine’s stance and its possible concessions can be found in the article “Will President Zelensky Make Concessions? Media: Ukraine Considers Returning Occupied Territories.”
