Protesters took to the streets of Anchorage, Alaska, on Thursday (August 14) to rally against an upcoming summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin and expressed skepticism for the meeting.

“I don't really have much hope for the summit tomorrow. It would be nice to think that Putin would recognize that he's not going to win,” said Anchorage resident Steve Poirot, 69, amid a sea of protesters waving Ukrainian flags and chanting slogans.

Several protesters voiced disappointment that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy was not involved in the summit.

Trump's meeting with Putin will take place at 11 a.m. (1900 GMT) in Anchorage, Alaska, on Friday (August 15), the White House said in a press schedule statement on Thursday.

Trump said he believes his Russian counterpart is ready to end his war in Ukraine, speaking on the eve of the summit, but that peace would likely require at least a second meeting involving Zelenskiy.

Trump has downplayed talk of a ceasefire emerging from the summit and speculated about a possible second meeting to come, involving more leaders. Putin earlier spoke to his most senior ministers and security officials as he prepared for the meeting with Trump, that could shape the endgame to the largest war in Europe since World War Two.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

ANCHORAGE, ALASKA, UNITED STATES (AUGUST 14, 2025) (REUTERS - Access all)

1. PROTESTERS WAVING PLACARDS AND UKRAINIAN FLAGS

2. PROTESTERS STANDING NEXT TO BANNER, READING (English), “ALASKA STANDS WITH UKRAINE”

3. PROTESTERS CARRYING PLACARD READING, (English), “CEDING UKRAINE TO PUTIN IS LIKE CEDING CZECHOSLOVAKIA TO HITLER”

4. PROTESTERS HOLDING LARGE UKRAINIAN FLAG WITH WORDS, READING (English): “ALASKA STANDS WITH UKRAINE”

5. UKRAINIAN FLAG REFLECTED IN PROTESTER’S SUNGLASSES

6. ACTIVIST SHOUTING (English), “WE NEED TO STAND WITH UKRAINE. THEY ARE OUR ALLIES. RUSSIA IS OUR ENEMY. LET’S NOT GET IT TWISTED”

7. PROTESTERS CHANTING (English), “TRUMP, PUTIN, YOU CAN’T HIDE. WE CHARGE YOU WITH GENOCIDE”

8. (SOUNDBITE) (English) ANCHORAGE RESIDENT ORIGINALLY FROM ENGLAND, HELEN SHARRATT, 65, SAYING:

“This is just grandstanding for Donald Trump. He likes to look good and think he's doing something, but he's not doing anything. And meeting with Putin is, I mean, actually, I don't know who's worse in terms of making a deal and not actually adhering to it. So there's two guys in a room, neither of whom can be trusted or can trust each other. It's a travesty.”

9. PROTESTER HOLDING PLACARD READING (English) “DEMOCRACY NEEDS YOUR COURAGE”

10. (SOUNDBITE) (English) ANCHORAGE RESIDENT ORIGINALLY FROM ENGLAND, HELEN SHARRATT, 65, SAYING:

“This is about Ukraine. It's not about America. It's not about Russia, really, except that Russia invaded Ukraine and they need to leave. There's nothing to negotiate. I mean, what should (Ukrainian President Volodymyr) Zelenskiy do in return? He just wants to reaffirm his borders. And the fact that he's not here is just colonialism, you know, all over again.”

11. PROTESTERS HOLDING PLACARDS READING (English): “ALASKA STANDS WITH UKRAINE” AND “ZELENSKY SHOULD BE HERE”

12. (SOUNDBITE) (English) ANCHORAGE RESIDENT, LISA SCARBOROUGH, 66, SAYING:

“Putin and Trump meeting together, I hope that they can accomplish something and can, well pessimistic about it, but I want to support it and hope that they can stop this. You know, what they’re doing to the Ukrainian people and the Russian people, for that matter.”

13. PROTESTERS HOLDING PLACARDS

14. (SOUNDBITE) (English) ANCHORAGE RESIDENT, LISA SCARBOROUGH, 66, SAYING:

“I think he (Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy) should be here, should be there at the table. I feel it's appalling how he was treated by our president when they spoke last. But I think he should be here. That's all about… it's about his country.”

15. PROTESTERS HOLDING PLACARD READING, (English): “TRUMP CONVICTED FELON”, AND FLIPPING PLACARD TO SHOW BACK OF SIGN READING, (English): “PUTIN WAR CRIMINAL”

16. (SOUNDBITE) (English) ANCHORAGE RESIDENT, RACHEL KORSHIN, 74, SAYING:

“The idea that this war criminal and felon and, what we're now calling the American president is here together, the fact that Putin is in this country at all, and the fact that Trump thinks he can negotiate anything. He can't negotiate himself out of a paper bag, the fact that they're here has me here objecting.”

17. PROTESTERS HOLDING PLACARDS

18. (SOUNDBITE) (English) ANCHORAGE RESIDENT, RACHEL KORSHIN, 74, SAYING:

“I have fear. I have no hope. I have no hope it's going to solve anything. I am afraid that Trump is going to try to commit to something which he has no right to commit to. Anything that he tries to commit to, he has no right to commit to.”

19. PROTESTERS WAVING U.S. AND UKRAINIAN FLAGS

20. (SOUNDBITE) (English) ANCHORAGE RESIDENT, RACHEL KORSHIN, 74, SAYING:

“That there are about 50 dogs in line ahead of him (Trump) for the Nobel Peace Prize.”

21. PROTESTERS WAVING U.S. AND UKRAINIAN FLAGS

22. (SOUNDBITE) (English) ANCHORAGE RESIDENT, GEOFF KENNEDY, 85, SAYING:

“My hope is that when Vladimir Putin sets foot in Alaska, that he'd be arrested for being an illegal alien.”

23. PROTESTERS WAVING U.S. AND UKRAINIAN FLAGS

24. (SOUNDBITE) (English) ANCHORAGE RESIDENT, GEOFF KENNEDY, 85, SAYING:

“He realizes that there's no point for him at the moment. And Putin will not talk to Trump with Zelenskiy present.”

25. UKRAINIAN, U.S. AND EU FLAGS FLUTTERING

26. (SOUNDBITE) (English) ANCHORAGE RESIDENT, MARIAH (LAST NAME NOT PROVIDED), 22, SAYING:

“America can help. But Trump has failed again and again, and he's insulted Zelenskiy so many times. It's just, are we really going to make any progress with Putin, who hasn't even bothered to show up for so many other instances?”

27. BAND PERFORMING DURING PROTEST

28. (SOUNDBITE) (English) ANCHORAGE RESIDENT, STEVE POIROT, 69, SAYING:

“I don't really have much hope for the summit tomorrow. It would be nice to think that Putin would recognize that he's not going to win. But my understanding is that he would lose his grasp on power if he stops the war.”

29. PROTESTER CHANTING (English): “FROM UKRAINE TO PALESTINE, OCCUPATION IS A CRIME”

30. FLAUTIST PERFORMING

31. BAND PLAYING PROTEST SONG “BELLA CIAO” AMIDST PROTESTERS