A former Biden Pentagon official told CNN viewers Friday that Russian President Vladimir Putin just proved who holds "all the cards" after news dropped he would meet with President Donald Trump in Alaska.

Sabrina Singh joined "The Lead" with fill-in host Phil Mattingly and Brigadier General Mark Kimmitt to discuss Trump's announcement on Truth Social.

"The highly anticipated meeting between myself, as President of the United States of America, and President Vladimir Putin, of Russia, will take place next Friday, August 15, 2025, in the Great State of Alaska. Further details to follow," wrote Trump.

Mattingly turned to his guests for their reactions.

"I’m not surprised by an awful lot these days, but the speed with which this happened — and also the location in Alaska — what’s your big-picture sense of things right now?" Mattingly asked Kimmitt.

Kimmitt shrugged off the news but noted it opens the door to discussing a potential ceasefire in Ukraine.

"Well, first of all, I think Alaska is halfway between Moscow… it’s really just that simple," he said, noting Putin can't go to Europe.

"It’s fast, but it is not, in my mind, unusual. We’ve been negotiating with Putin for months and months," he added.

Even so, Kimmit warned he's pessimistic that Trump will succeed.

"I’m not the slightest bit optimistic about what we’re going to see, but it’s good that they’re talking," he concluded.

Singh, however, called the announcement shocking.

"I mean, I’m shocked that this meeting is actually being held in the United States. I think that’s giving incredible deference to someone that invaded a sovereign country. This is a war of choice that Putin started back in 2022," she began.

Singh felt the meeting ought to have been held in the Middle East or outside the United States. She warned that Putin has proved he can "move the chess pieces on the board in his favor," and that he's gotten the Trump administration to "cater to a lot of his demands."

"In fact, holding it in Alaska is just even more proof that Putin really is holding the cards here," she said.

Watch the clip below or at this link.