LONDON (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday praised U.S. President Donald Trump’s efforts to end the war in Ukraine, more than three years after Moscow launched its invasion, as the two leaders prepared for a pivotal U.S.–Russia summit Friday in Alaska.

Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin will meet in Alaska on Friday for talks on ending the war in Ukraine, and to revive their diplomatic and economic ties. It's a first-of-a-kind summit in a location loaded with history,