The US-Russia summit lets Putin get back to the top table of international diplomacy and thumb his nose at critics. Here’s what else he stands to gain.

If everything goes according to plan, this trip will mark Putin's eighth visit to the U.S. during his presidency, a role he has held for 20 years across two separate terms. Trump is hosting the meeting to try to push Moscow into a peace deal with Ukraine.

U krainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday said he told President Donald Trump and European leaders that Russia's Vladimir Putin is "bluffing" on pursuing peace as preparations for Friday's U.S.-Russia summit in Alaska continue.