Putin- Trump meeting to take place in Anchorage - White House

WASHINGTON. Aug 13 (Interfax) - U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold talks in Anchorage, Alaska, on Friday, the White House said on Tuesday.

"On Friday morning President Trump will travel across the country to Anchorage, Alaska, for a bilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin," White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt told a briefing.

Trump "is determined" to put an end to hostilities in Ukraine, she said.

Trump intends to focus on the Ukrainian conflict at his meeting with Putin, other topics are not a priority, Leavitt said.

"I think this conversation on Friday is focused on ending the war in Ukraine," Leavitt told the press briefing, when asked if other topics could be discussed.

Trump is keen on discussing other topics such as an improvement in U.S.-Russia bilateral relations, but at the moment his main priority is to end the Ukrainian conflict, she said.

Asked about the summit's format Leavitt said it would involve, in particular, the presidents talking one on one. The White House is not going to provide more details at this point, she said.

The CNN television channel said for its part, citing informed sources, that the Trump-Putin meeting scheduled to take place in Alaska on Friday would be hosted by Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson.

"Organizers of the summit soon came to believe the only city in the massive state with viable options for the summit would be Anchorage. And only Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, on the northern edge of the city, would meet the security requirements for the historic meeting," CNN said.

According to the TV channel's sources, the White House had hoped to avoid the option of hosting the Russian leader and his entourage on a U.S. military installation.

However, no other suitable venues for the summit were found as the tourism season in Alaska is currently at its peak.