In August 2025, as U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin prepared to meet in Alaska to discuss the war in Ukraine, speculation swirled online about whether Trump could or should arrest the Russian president at the meeting on a warrant from the International Criminal Court that accused Putin of carrying out war crimes.

While the "loophole" essentially protects Putin from being cuffed during his U.S. trip, de Bretton-Gordon noted the Kremlin will likely still be on high-alert and won't be taking any chances of their leader being thrown behind bars.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is making his visit to American soil after almost a decade. US President Donald Trump has also confirmed a high-stakes meeting with him in Alaska on August 15, 2025. It will be a landmark and a defining moment in global politics The summit comes against the backdrop of Russia’s ongoing war