President Donald Trump is scheduled to meet face-to-face with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska. The White House is calling it an early step in what could be a much longer process to end the war in Ukraine.

LONDON (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday praised U.S. President Donald Trump’s efforts to end the war in Ukraine, more than three years after Moscow launched its invasion, as the two leaders prepared for a pivotal U.S.–Russia summit Friday in Alaska.