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United States President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Anchorage, Alaska, on Friday, for a critical summit focused on finding a potential resolution to the ongoing three-year conflict in Ukraine.
This is their first independent meeting since their 2018 discussion in Helsinki, Finland.
Upon landing at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, both leaders were greeted with a red-carpet welcome before traveling together in the US presidential limousine. Initially expected to be a private meeting, the agenda was later revised to include key aides.
According to the White House, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff will participate in the talks alongside Trump.
Before the discussions began, Trump stated that his goal was to bring Putin “back to the negotiating table” rather than to negotiate a settlement for Ukraine.
He also refrained from committing to any security assurances for Kyiv as part of a potential agreement.
Trump hinted at the possibility of a trilateral meeting with President Zelensky if the summit proves successful. Although Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who is not present at the meeting, has expressed that his country would rely on America for assistance.
Before the closed-door session commenced, Putin did not respond to questions from the media regarding a ceasefire, pledges to reduce civilian casualties, or why Trump should have trust in him.
The Russian leader seemed visibly confused as reporters fired multiple questions simultaneously and was later seen gesturing and vocalizing towards the press, though his comments were not clearly articulated.
