Russia already controls a fifth of Ukraine, including about three-quarters of Donetsk province, which it first entered in 2014.

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (Reuters) -Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday he hoped that agreements reached at his summit with U.S. President Donald Trump could be a launchpad for settling the Ukraine conflict and restoring ties between Russia and the U.

Any potential peace deal for Ukraine would need to involve agreement on territory, with Russia currently occupying almost a fifth of Ukraine’s land.

President Trump and Russian President Putin drove off together in the presidential vehicle, "The Beast," as the leaders arrived in Anchorage, Alaska for a summit to discuss the Ukraine war. Putin could be seen laughing as the two leaders drove off for a historic summit which is expected to last hours.