Trump has defiant message for Putin as the pair gear up to meet for first time since 2018

Donald Trump shared a defiant message with the world ahead of his first face-to-face meeting with Vladimir Putin in seven years.

It's been more than half a decade since the two world leaders were physically in a room together, and later today (15 August), they will reunite in Anchorage, Alaska.

But the gathering on US soil is gearing up to be anything but an amicable get together, as the POTUS has made it clear he means business.

Trump today told reporters that any other niceties are off the table 'until we get the war settled', as he's on a mission to broker a peace deal, which puts an end to the three year invasion of Ukraine.

However, earlier this week, the commander-in-chief admitted he wasn't confident that he could convince Putin to stop firing missiles at it's war-torn neighbour.

"I’ve had a lot of good conversations with [Putin]," Trump said. "Then I go home and I see that a rocket hit a nursing home or a rocket hit an apartment building and people are laying dead in the streets."

Trump seen boarding Air Force One today to fly to Alaska for the showdown with Putin (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

Aside from suggesting that his Russian counterpart isn't a man of his word, the US President also warned that there would be 'very severe consequences' if Putin doesn't play ball in terms of Ukraine.

And to ensure he's made his stance crystal clear, Trump shared a defiant two word message on Truth Social earlier.

Getting straight to the point, he shared a post which simply read: "HIGH STAKES!!!"

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also used the same phrase to describe the US-Russia summit in a post on X shared earlier today.

In a lengthy social media post, he explained that he is expecting a 'report from our intelligence on the current intentions of the Russian side and its preparations for the meeting in Alaska'.

"Indeed, high stakes," Zelenskyy wrote. "The key thing is that this meeting should open up a real path toward a just peace and a substantive discussion between leaders in a trilateral format - Ukraine, the United States, and the Russian side. It is time to end the war, and the necessary steps must be taken by Russia. We are counting on America. We are ready, as always, to work as productively as possible."

The US President warned Putin that today's sit down was 'high stakes' (ALEXEI NIKOLSKY/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Not everyone is convinced that Russia is in the most peaceful mood though, especially after seeing what controversial clothing the nation's foreign minister swanned up to Alaska in.

Sergei Lavrov, 75, was seen sporting a sweatshirt that was emblazoned with the letters 'CCCP' - which is the Russian abbreviation for the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, AKA the USSR.

People reckon this is quite the political fashion statement, including former Lithuanian foreign minister Gabrielius Landsbergis.

In a post on X accompanied by footage of Lavrov wearing the controversial sweatshirt, Landsbergis wrote: "'Just give us half of Ukraine and we promise we will stop', says negotiator wearing USSR sweatshirt."

A special forces soldier currently on the frontline in eastern Ukraine claimed Lavrov was giving Trump a 'middle finger the size of the Statue of Liberty' with his choice of attire.

But for now, there's nothing left for us lot to do except keep our fingers crossed that the item of clothing doesn't hamper today's talks between Putin and Trump.