The Russia-US summit is scheduled to take place on August 15 in Alaska.
On August 9, Mr. Kirill Dmitriev - Head of Russia's international negotiation delegation, President Putin's Advisor on international economic cooperation - said that "some countries that are interested in prolonging the Ukrainian conflict will find ways to 'sink' the summit with "Titanic" efforts including province and fake news campaigns".
The summit between Mr. Putin and Mr. Trump is considered a historic opportunity to seek a solution to the Russia-Ukraine conflict. However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said he will reject any ceasefire if he is forced to cede territory, while Trump insists his proposal includes this element.
US media last week cited a source as saying that Mr. Trump pressured Mr. Putin to meet Mr. Zelensky before agreeing on a bilateral summit. However, Mr. Trump denied it, saying, They want to see me, and I will do everything I can to stop the blood flow.
The Kremlin said that Zelensky's continued position as president was "constitutional" because his term ended last year. President Putin said he was ready to meet with the Ukrainian leadership to end it, not negotiate a ceasefire, and stressed the need to clarify Zelensky's legal status before signing any treaties.
Dmitriev stressed that the conference in Alaska is not only diplomatic in nature, but also recalls the historical Russia-US linkage when the region was under Russia before being sold to the US in the 19th century.
If successful, the meeting could mark a major turning point in Russia-US relations and shape the situation of the Ukrainian conflict in the coming time.
