Beijing, Aug. 12 -- U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are set to meet on August 15th in Alaska to discuss a potential ceasefire in Ukraine, marking the first talks between the leaders of the two countries since 2021.

On the campaign trail in 2023 and 2024, Trump made repeated claims that he would end the Ukraine crisis within 24 hours of winning presidency. The summit, Trump's latest push for peace in the region, has been billed by the White House as a high-stakes push to end the Ukraine crisis.

But the prospects for a breakthrough appear uncertain, with the two leaders approaching the talks from sharply different positions and many of America's allies warning that any deal struck without Kiev's participat...