President Trump's meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday could shape the future of Moscow’s more than three-year war in Ukraine — for better or worse.

Trump has made ending the war a priority focus in his second term, but Putin has been a brick wall, refusing any concessions toward peace and only increasing the severity of attacks on Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky did not get an invite to the Alaska summit, but he along with European leaders has sought to stiffen Trump’s spine this week, hoping to steer him away from any talk of territorial concessions.

The White House has lowered expectations for a major breakthrough in the summit, which Trump has described as setting the table for a potential second meeting that includes Zelensky.

Still, the world will be watching closely for any signs that a peace deal is possible.

Here are the priorities for Ukraine, the U.S. and Russia:

Zelensky

Watching from the sidelines, Zelensky has the most to lose from Trump and Putin meeting face-to-face.

Trump has swung wildly between anger with the Ukrainian leader, at one point halting U.S. military support and intelligence sharing, to expressing sympathy and even unity over the loss of life and suffering.

Zelensky will be hoping for a chilly meeting in Alaska, said Olga Tokariuk, a fellow with the Democratic Resilience Program at the Center for European Policy Analysis.

“The best scenario for Ukraine would be if there is no deal tomorrow, if there is no agreement between Russia and the U.S. on anything,” Tokariuk said.

She added that a decision by Trump to impose more sanctions on Russia, as he has threatened to do if Putin doesn’t move toward a peace deal, would be a major victory for Kyiv.

Zelensky, along with European leaders, held a virtual call with Trump on Thursday to reinforce principles Trump should take with him into the talks: A ceasefire on the current front lines must be the basis for any negotiations; Ukraine must be part of discussions; Ukraine needs security guarantees and to leave the door open for NATO membership; and there must be no recognition of........

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