Why is the Trump-Putin meeting in Alaska so important?

US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are set to meet in Alaska on Friday to discuss ending the Ukraine war.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will not be present in Alaska when at the meeting, but the US president suggested that a meeting between the warring leaders would be "more productive" than his own with the Russian leader.

On Thursday, the Ukrainian leader met UK PM Keir Starmer in London.They agreed the talks between Trump and Putin "present a viable chance to make progress as long as Putin takes action to prove he is serious about peace".