Trump is set to meet with Putin at Friday’s Alaska summit, with the world watching for a possible breakthrough to end the Ukraine war.

Whether the U.S.-Russia summit can lead to a deal to produce peace in Ukraine more than 3 1/2 years after Moscow’s invasion remains to be seen.

Russian President Vladimir Putin 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.