by Sharon Rondeau
(Aug. 14, 2025) — In remarks to journalists on Thursday afternoon while marking the 90th anniversary of Social Security, President Trump spoke about the meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin to take place in Alaska on Friday.
Approximately 275,000 illegal aliens as well as others not entitled to the benefit have been removed from Social Security rolls, Trump said. Service has improved, he said, and wait times have been reduced considerably.
“I think it’s going to be a good meeting,” Trump replied to a reporter’s question about his upcoming face-to-face with Putin.
He revealed he believes a “second meeting” with Putin will be even more significant. Ukrainian president Volodomyr Zelensky will attend at that time, Trump added, perhaps with leaders from European nations.
On Wednesday, Trump engaged in a virtual meeting with European heads of state and Zelensky to strategize.
The purpose of Friday’s meeting is to stop the war between Russia and Ukraine which has raged since February 24, 2022 after Russia invaded the former Soviet republic.
Trump said he believes Putin wants to reach a peace agreement.
More than 7,000 people were killed in the conflict last week, Trump said, “mostly soldiers.”
He enumerated the conflicts he has been able to diffuse between Armenia and Azerbaijan; Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo; India and Pakistan; Thailand and Cambodia; Serbia and Kosovo; and Ethiopia and Egypt over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam project on the Blue Nile River which arose late in Trump’s first term.
As for a second meeting, he said he believes it is likely. “I think it’s going to be very interesting; we’re going to find out where everybody stands…whether we’re going to have a good meeting or a bad meeting,” he added as to Friday’s session.
The two will meet at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson (JBER).