Trump and Putin Summit on Ukraine Underway

WSJ What’s News

The Wall Street Journal

News, Daily News

4 • 4K Ratings

🗓️ 15 August 2025

⏱️ 13 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

P.M. Edition for Aug. 15. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin have begun their face-to-face meeting in Alaska to discuss ending the war in Ukraine. We talk to WSJ reporter Jim Carlton, who is in Anchorage, about where the leaders stand going into the summit and the vibe on the ground. Plus, tariffs have hit their highest rate in decades, but inflation hasn’t surged—and economists are puzzled. WSJ economics reporter Konrad Putzier discusses a theory about why that happens. And EV maker Rivian says a change to U.S. fuel economy rules is holding up $100 million in revenue. Ryan Felton, who covers the auto industry for the Journal, explains the change and what it means for the EV industry. Alex Ossola hosts. Sign up for the WSJ's free What's News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Business is evolving fast, and hearing how others are adapting can make all the difference.
0:04.8	Hear perspectives from global executives as they share what's working, what's changing, and what they think lies ahead on the Executive Insights podcast, available on all major podcast platforms.
0:18.3	President Trump and Vladimir Putin meet in Alaska, beginning their much-awaited summit about Ukraine.
0:25.0	Plus, why economists suspect inflation isn't surging despite high tariffs.
0:29.6	The real effective tariff rate is significantly lower than what they would have thought
0:33.7	based on just the announcement of the headline tariffs and all the averages.
0:38.0	And how the relaxation of fuel economy rules is making EV company Rivian face a hundred million
0:44.0	dollar hole. It's Friday, August 15th. I'm Alex Osloff for the Wall Street Journal.
0:49.7	This is the PM edition of What's News, the top headlines and business stories that move the world today.
1:01.3	President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are meeting in Alaska, their first face-to-face meeting in several years.
1:08.9	On the agenda, what it will take to end the war in Ukraine.
1:12.7	Both leaders arrived this morning local time at Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson in Anchorage.
1:18.1	Trump met Putin on the tarmac to welcome him and the two shook hands. The summit, if successful,
1:23.2	could pave the way for future talks between Putin, Trump, and Ukrainian President Volodemir
1:28.5	Zelensky to end more than three years of fighting that has claimed tens of thousands of lives.
1:34.1	Though it was initially supposed to be a one-on-one between Trump and Putin, White House Press
1:38.6	Secretary Caroline Levitt announced shortly before the meeting that it would now include two
1:43.0	advisors for each leader.
1:44.8	For Trump, that's Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Special Envoy Steve Whitkoff.
1:49.5	For Putin, it's Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Foreign Policy Advisor Yuri Ushikov.
1:55.5	For more, I'm joined now by WSJ West Coast correspondent Jim Carlton, who is on the ground in Anchorage. Jim, what's the vibe there?
2:02.8	What is it like? There's actually quite a bit of excitement in the air. I was lucky enough to watch
	...

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