Trump has visited Alaska several times as president, pushed for expanded oil, gas and mining permits there, and even got funding for new polar icebreakers, a popular stance in a state he won with 54% of the vote in 2024.

Trump and Putin are meeting for the first time in six years tonight in Alaska for a one-on-one meeting that left Zelensky off the guest list. Their goal, according to the White House secretary, is for the US president to ‘walk away with a better understanding of how we can end this war’.

The US president will speak to Ukraine's leader in a call on Wednesday, two days before "one-to-one" talks with Putin.