President Trump is hosting Vladimir Putin in Anchorage for the first U.S.–Russia presidential summit in years, despite European and Ukrainian warnings that Moscow seeks to use the meeting to secure territorial concessions in Ukraine.

Critics fear Trump’s inexperienced envoy and private talks with Putin could lead to a deal favorable to Russia, undermining Ukraine and alienating allies, while Trump has signaled openness to “land swapping” that Kyiv’s constitution forbids.

Although Trump has recently taken a harsher tone toward Putin, experts warn the one-on-one format gives the Russian leader a strong opportunity to manipulate the outcome.

“This will be the first U.S.-Russia summit brought about by sheer ignorance and incompetence: The U.S. president and his chosen envoy mistook a Russian demand for a concession,” says Brian Taylor, professor of political science and director of the Moynihan Institute of Global Affairs.

“Ultimately, this is not a war about this or that piece of territory, but about whether Russia can establish political control over Ukraine, or whether Ukraine will remain free to choose its own domestic and international path,” Taylor says. “Trump’s false suggestion again that Zelensky is somehow at fault for Russia invading Ukraine indicates he still does not understand how we got here or what’s at stake.”

Read more in the Los Angeles Times article, “Is Putin laying a trap in Alaska, or is Trump?”