U.S. President Donald Trump declared on Friday that Russian President Vladimir Putin “won’t mess around” with him, as the two prepare for their first face-to-face meeting in six years. The high-stakes summit, set to take place at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska, will focus on the war in Ukraine—but notably, without Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the table.

“Putin knows better,” Trump said. “He won’t try anything on my watch.”

The summit venue, a major U.S. military installation near Anchorage once central to Cold War defense, was chosen for its symbolic proximity to Russian territory and its secure environment. Trump previously visited the base during his first term, hailing it as the nation’s “first line of defense.”

Kyiv has strongly criticized the decision to exclude Zelensky from the talks. The Ukrainian president warned that any agreements made without his government’s involvement would be “void and meaningless,” stressing the ongoing toll of Russia’s invasion on civilians and infrastructure.

While Trump presents himself as a potential broker of peace, observers expect Putin to reiterate demands for territorial concessions—a sticking point that has prolonged the bloody conflict since 2022, leaving tens of thousands dead and millions displaced.

In Alaska, reactions to the summit have been mixed. “I wish Zelensky was here too, but people are losing everything. If Trump can stop it, that’s awesome,” said Don Cressley, a visitor from North Pole, Alaska.

Anchorage local Russell Wilson, fishing near Ship Creek, added: “It’s surreal. Russia’s our neighbor, and now their president is meeting ours right here. I just hope it leads somewhere.”

As the world watches, the remote frontier of Alaska has become the stage for a diplomatic showdown that could reshape the course of the war—and international relations.