GEOFF BENNETT: Welcome to the "News Hour."

It was a day of expectation-setting across# several nations, as President Trump prepares## to meet Russia's Vladimir Putin in Alaska# tomorrow.

Both struck optimistic notes,## but their first encounter of Mr.# Trump's second term unfolds against## the backdrop of Russia's war in# Ukraine now in its fourth year.

AMNA NAWAZ: For his part, Ukrainian President# Zelenskyy continued a tour of European capitals,## drumming up support today in London.

His fraught## relationship with President Trump is# no secret, but the two spoke yesterday,## alongside many European leaders, in# preparation for tomorrow's summit.

As Nick Schifrin reports, the stakes are# high and the odds of success may be long.

NICK SCHIFRIN: Today, in the Eastern Ukrainian# city of Pokrovsk, a Russian tank obliterated## what was already ruined, rubble pounded further# into dust, making Ukrainian President Volodymyr## Zelenskyy's meeting today with British Prime# Minister Keir Starmer more urgent to discuss## security guarantees for Ukraine and more than# a billion dollars worth of European weapons.

The Europeans have rallied this week to press# President Trump that any deal made with Putin## start with a cease-fire, and only Zelenskyy# will decide whether to swap land with Russia.

DONALD TRUMP, President of the# United States: I think it's going## to be very interesting.

We're going# to find ou.. NICK SCHIFRIN: Today, President Trump# admitted there's a 25 percent chance## the summit could fail, but predicted the# meeting would be a pivot point in history.

DONALD TRUMP: And if it's a bad meeting, it'll# end very quickly.

And if it's a good meeting,## we're going to end up getting# peace in the pretty near future.

NICK SCHIFRIN: Today, Russian President# Vladimir Putin embraced the optimistic outlook.

VLADIMIR PUTIN, Russian President (through# translator): The stage we are at with## the current American administration,# which, as everyone knows, is making,## in my opinion, quite energetic and# sincere efforts to stop hostilities.

NICK SCHIFRIN: Putin also envisioned# normalizing relations with the U.S.,## including extending the final existing U.S.-Russia# arms control treaty set to expire early next year,## a cap on the number of Russian and# American deployed nuclear warheads.

Putin's top foreign policy adviser,# Yuri Ushakov, today went further,## saying Friday could expand# U.S.-Russia economic ties.

YURI USHAKOV, Foreign Policy Adviser to# President Putin (through translator): An exchange## of views is expected.. including in the trade and# economic sphere.

I would like## to note that this cooperation has huge and# unfortunately hitherto untapped potential.

NICK SCHIFRIN: But U.S. officials tell# "PBS News Hour," while President Trump is## interested in those other topics, Friday# is focused on ending the war in Ukraine.

For more on tomorrow's summit between President# Trump and Putin, we turn to Dmitri Trenin,## a longtime analyst based in Moscow who was the# head of the Carnegie Endowment for International## Peace's Moscow office and is now professor# at the Higher School of Economics University.

Dmitri Trenin, thanks very much.# Welcome back to the "News Hour."

U.S. officials described President Trump's# goal to me tomorrow as getting a cease-fire## from Vladimir Putin and hearing a fundamental# idea that Putin is willing to end the war.

So## is President Putin willing to accept a# cease-fire and willing to end the war?

DMITRI TRENIN, Higher School of# Economics University: Well, I think that,## from the Russian perspective, the agenda..

There is an element, a huge element of that# deals with Ukraine.

But then there is a lot## of interest in discussing the future of the# badly damaged U.S.-Russian relations.

Now,## in the Russian thinking, a cease-fire# is a very important element of the## resolution of the conflict.

But it cannot be# the only element, and it cannot come first.

NICK SCHIFRIN: So just to be clear, that# position that the cease-fire should not## come first is not acceptable to Ukraine.

So do# you believe that Russia believes that it can## make a deal with the United States, even# if that deal is unacceptable to Ukraine?

DMITRI TRENIN: Well, Russia is talking# -- or President Putin will be talking## to the president of the United# States.

And it is a bilateral## meeting.

And they will discuss a# lot of issues, including Ukraine.

But this is not -- at this point,# this is not the place to discuss the## situation with the Ukrainians and the Europeans.

NICK SCHIFRIN: Even if there were a# cease-fire, would President Putin,## would Russia be willing to stop where it is today?

DMITRI TRENIN: Russia has declared the# entire territories of the new Russia,## the four regions in the southeast of Ukraine,# as Russia's constitutional territory.

And it's## a stated goal of Russia to have those territories# in full incorporated into the Russian Federation.

NICK SCHIFRIN: But, again, does Russia expect# a conversation with the United States to come## up with some kind of deal, including a land# swap, that we already know Ukraine will reject?

DMITRI TRENIN: I think that time will come when# Ukraine will have to accept the realities.

And## I think that Ukraine will recognize at some# point the truth that its security and its## future existence actually depend# on a good relationship with Russia.

NICK SCHIFRIN: We have talked about the map.

We# have talked about these regions.

But, for Russia,## is this really about the map?

Is it not# more about the nature of Kyiv's future,## whether that's the size of the# military that it can yield,## its support from the West, or in fact# its membership in Western institutions?

DMITRI TRENIN: Well, I think it means -- well, the# territorial issue is part of the bigger picture.

But the bigger picture includes -- and# I think that this is far more important## than any territorial changes -- the security# aspect.

And security aspect for Russia means## exactly no NATO membership for# Ukraine and no NATO in Ukraine.## It means a military force that# will not be threatening Russia.

NICK SCHIFRIN: You mentioned the threat that# Russia sees posed by Ukraine's military.

Of## course, Ukraine sees the long-term# threat posed by Russia's military.

President Trump has talked to European# leaders about security guarantees for Ukraine,## whether that's a level of military support or# whether that's punishment on Russia if it were to## launch another full-scale war against Ukraine.

Is Russia at the point where it could accept some## kind of what the West calls security# guarantees for Ukraine to make a deal?

DMITRI TRENIN: Well, I think a good security# guarantee for Ukraine would be strict neutrality## between Russia and NATO.

That's the best# security guarantee you can think of,## which would lead to a correct, normal# and productive relationship with Russia,## as well as with the West, but# excluding the military dimension.

NICK SCHIFRIN: As you know, that is an# unacceptable position for Ukraine, which## says the only guarantee that it can have against# Russia is a robust military with Western support.

So is there not a fundamental# gap here that means that there## cannot be a long-term deal between Russia and# Moscow, regardless of what Donald Trump wants?

DMITRI TRENIN: Well, at this point,# I don't think that Ukraine is ready## to face up to the realities and the# potential future of this conflict.

But I'm sure that, at some point, they will have# to face up to those things and accept the reality.

NICK SCHIFRIN: Dmitri Trenin, thank you very much.

DMITRI TRENIN: You're welcome.