(NewsNation) — While critics fear the Friday summit in Anchorage between President Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin will prove to be a sort of “prebaked Alaska” granting major concessions to Moscow, Trump expressed optimism Thursday that the meeting will set the stage for lasting peace in Ukraine.

Both leaders and their representatives are set to meet at 3:30 Eastern Time at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, or JBER, a U.S. military installation that is roughly equidistant (about 4,300 miles) from Moscow and Washington, D.C.

Trump, who is expected to be accompanied by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff, said Friday’s meeting, depending on how it goes, may lead to a second meeting that includes Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and possibly even Eur

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