ANCHORAGE, Alaska — President Trump has made no secret that he wants to be the one to broker an end to Russia's war in Ukraine , touting his relationship with President Vladimir Putin as giving him the means to do so.

Now, as the two leaders prepare to meet face to face in Anchorage, Alaska , their history adds to the intrigue.

Trump said he'll know "probably in the first two minutes" whether Putin is serious about pursuing peace. But Trump may already know the answer. When asked by a reporter this week whether he could convince Putin to stop targeting civilians in Ukraine, Trump was skeptical.

"I've had that conversation with him," Trump said during an unrelated event at the Kennedy Center. "I've had a lot of good conversations with him. Then I go home and I see that a rocket hit a

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