In previous meetings with Putin, Trump has proven unpredictable and impressionable.

At 9:00 PM Norwegian time tonight, US President Donald Trump will host Russian President Vladimir Putin. The main topic of the meeting in Alaska is the war in Ukraine. The world will hold its breath.

European leaders and the Ukrainian president have done everything they can to convince Trump of the following:

• Russia must agree to a ceasefire before negotiations can begin.
• All territorial issues can only be negotiated with Ukraine.
• It is out of the question to give any form of legal recognition to the areas occupied by Russia.
• Ukraine's and Europe's security interests must be safeguarded.

Trump is said to have agreed with them, according to European leaders. But many commentators are still not reassured.

Although Trump sees himself as a superb negotiator, the Ukrainians and many with them are worried that Putin, the former KGB agent, will manipulate Trump and not the other way around.

Listened to Putin and not American intelligence

In previous conversations, Trump has proven to be impressionable and unpredictable.

During his first term as president, Trump and Putin met five or six times. The meetings unsettled his closest advisers, writes The New York Times. Trump ignored their advice and excluded them from meetings with Putin. Afterwards, he made impractical suggestions that clearly came from Putin.

One example: After a meeting in Helsinki in July 2018, Trump expressed that he believed Putin more than US intelligence services.

American investigators had concluded that Russian intelligence attempted to influence the 2016 presidential election. Trump said he had asked Putin about it.

– President Putin says it's not Russia. I don't see any reason why it should be, Trump said during the press conference.

Trump has repeatedly claimed that the allegations of Russian interference in the 2016 election are a witch hunt and a fraud.

The two leaders spoke for two hours. Only their two interpreters were present. In Helsinki, Trump was filmed at least twice winking at Putin.

Only Putin's interpreter was present.

The two first met a year earlier, at a G-20 summit in Hamburg. Then-Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was present and later said that Trump had twice asked Putin if it was true that they had interfered in the US election. Putin denied it both times.

The meeting with Putin was scheduled to last 35 minutes, but it took more than two hours.

Afterwards, while the G-20 leaders were having dinner, the two spoke again. The meeting was not made public at the time. Only Putin's interpreter was present.

– Not preparing

The last time Trump met with Putin was in Japan in 2019. Trump's former national security adviser, John Bolton, who has since become an adversary, was present. He has said he was struck by how differently the two presidents approached the meetings.

About Putin: – I have seen nothing but that he was prepared, very calm, very reasonable when he presented things, and I think that is due to the training he has from the KGB.

Trump's approach was completely different. He didn't prepare, according to Bolton.

"I'm sure they're preparing briefing documents, as we always did, and he's not going to read them," Bolton told the BBC.

Bolton was one of several Russia hawks during Trump's first term. Now Trump has surrounded himself with aides who are skeptical of sending more weapons to Ukraine.

Poorly prepared

Traditionally, meetings between an American and a Russian or Soviet leader have been staged affairs.

Most of it has been planned a long time in advance. Joint statements and declarations have been almost ready in advance.

This time, the meeting has been arranged on short notice. Trump has said he will listen to what Putin wants.

According to the Russians, no joint statement will be issued, but the two leaders will hold a joint press conference after the meeting.

– A big fan

Trump has repeatedly expressed warmth and admiration for the Russian leader. Two days before Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, Trump said Putin was a genius.

The admiration for Putin goes back a long way. When Putin was named Person of the Year in 2007, Trump sent him a letter saying he was a big fan.

Trump has in recent weeks expressed irritation that Putin will not end the war in Ukraine, but he has not yet taken seriously the threats to punish Russia.

This week, the US president said he has always gotten along well with Putin. But he has also said there will be very serious consequences if Putin does not agree to end the war.