ISW Report: Kremlin seeks to shift Alaska talks away from Ukraine – ISW

The Kremlin will likely use the Alaska summit to divert attention away from peace talks with Ukraine and focus instead on U.S.–Russia relations, according to a report by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).

Russia Aims to Use Alaska Summit to Secure U.S. Economic Aid — Institute for Study of War

Published: 15 Aug / 2025   18:03

Illustrative image. Photo: ukrinofm.ua

ISW analysts believe Moscow’s goal is to push the Donald Trump administration toward economic rapprochement 

 

1. Evidence of this includes the Kremlin’s decision to add Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov and Russian Direct Investment Fund CEO Kirill Dmitriev to its delegation. 
2. Neither took part in the Russia–Ukraine talks in Istanbul in May and June 2025, but Dmitriev attended the U.S.–Russia talks in Istanbul in February 2025.

ISW previously noted that the Kremlin has often used Dmitriev to promote Russia as an attractive economic partner for the U.S. and to advance Moscow’s business interests.  

• Ahead of the summit, Dmitriev even claimed that Alaska is “historically part of Russia,” framing the meeting as one between equals. 
• Meanwhile, Siluanov is expected to push the West to lift sanctions, citing their alleged ineffectiveness.

ISW suggests that their presence is meant to portray the summit as a potential business deal. 

• On August 14, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said that, besides discussing Ukraine, Trump and Putin will also talk about bilateral cooperation in trade and the economy. 
• Russian State Duma members Alexey Chepa and Svetlana Zhurova even claimed the two countries “may” discuss sanctions and could “in any case” reach an economic agreement after the Alaska meeting.

“These statements are likely part of a coordinated Russian effort to use the Alaska summit to obtain much-needed economic relief from the U.S. 

ISW continues to assess that any U.S. acceptance of Russian economic deals without reciprocal steps from Russia on Ukraine would undermine the significant economic leverage the U.S. currently holds over Russia,”
— the report states.

The Trump–Putin meeting is scheduled for August 15 in Anchorage, Alaska at 11:00 a.m. local time (10:00 p.m. Kyiv time). The leaders will meet one-on-one with interpreters, followed by an expanded session with their delegations, and a joint press conference afterward.