Inside Trump’s meeting with Putin… Americast is in Alaska!

Aug 14, 2025

Donald Trump prepares for a high-stakes meeting with Vladimir Putin, claiming he'll know in minutes if a deal is possible. The discussion reveals how historical ties, like Alaska's purchase from Russia, contribute to current tensions. The hosts analyze Trump's negotiation tactics, including potential concessions regarding Ukraine. They also explore the legal complexities surrounding Putin's potential visit amid his ICC indictment. With humor and anecdotes, they provide a colorful look at Alaska's rich history and its role in global diplomacy.

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INSIGHT

Trump's Meeting Oscillates Between Hype And Hedge

Donald Trump frames the Anchorage meeting as a potential deal-making moment to end the war in Ukraine.
His messaging alternates between grand peace-summit claims and downplayed "listening session" expectations.

INSIGHT

Listening Session Paired With Vague Threats

The White House calls the visit a listening exercise while Trump threatens unspecified "very severe consequences."
That mix signals mismatch between public restraint and implied coercion.

INSIGHT

Sanctions Are His Main But Problematic Leverage

Trump's leverage includes threatened secondary sanctions on oil buyers, notably India and China, but he has paused them.
Pausing sanctions weakens pressure because high global oil prices would hurt US priorities.

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Ahead of his meeting with Vladimir Putin on Friday, Donald Trump has said that “in the first two minutes, I’ll know exactly whether or not a deal can be made”. Trump will be the first US president to have a face to face meeting with the Russian president since the war in Ukraine started. Alaska is a state which is already home to a historic deal between both countries - in 1867 the United States purchased it from Russia for around $7 million, making it one of the most successful business deals in history. Sarah and Anthony are in Anchorage, covering all you need to know about the meeting…what will and won’t be on the table, what’s likely to be Trump’s approach with Putin, and what he might use as leverage. Or is this part of a big delaying tactic by Putin to string along the US president? And what kind of input does President Zelensky from Ukraine get?

HOSTS: • Sarah Smith, North America Editor • Anthony Zurcher, North America Correspondent

GET IN TOUCH: • Join our online community: https://discord.gg/qSrxqNcmRB • Send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp to +44 330 123 9480 • Email Americast@bbc.co.uk • Or use #Americast

This episode was made by Purvee Pattni, Alix Pickles and Grace Reeve. The technical producer was Mike Regaard. The series producer is Purvee Pattni. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.

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Americast is part of the BBC News Podcasts family of podcasts. The team that makes Americast also makes lots of other podcasts, including Newscast and Ukrainecast. If you enjoy Americast (and if you're reading this then you hopefully do), then we think that you will enjoy some of our other pods too. See links below.

Newscast: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/series/p05299nl Ukrainecast: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/p0bqztzm Radical: BBC Sounds - Radical with Amol Rajan - Available Episodes