An expert in Russian politics says the summit in Alaska gives Putin "legitimacy" on the world stage and will be seen as a win by Russia.
Prof Stephen Hall, an expert in Russian and post-Soviet relations at the University of Bath, tells the BBC that the summit will be "played in Russian media" as proof that the country is "no longer isolated".
"It gives [Putin] legitimacy because he will be meeting with Donald Trump - the so-called leader of the free world," he says.
Challenged on how much of a success the summit will be for Putin if nothing was to emerge, Hall says he believes Putin does not actually want to negotiate an end to the war.