ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin concluded a high-stakes summit in Alaska on Friday, ending hours of talks on the war in Ukraine. The meeting, the first between the two leaders since Trump returned to the White House, aimed to de-escalate the conflict that has raged for more than three years.
The summit, held at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, began with a striking show of diplomatic choreography. After their respective planes landed, Trump, who arrived first, clapped as Putin approached. The two men met on the tarmac, sharing an extended handshake and friendly banter as military aircraft flew overhead.
Their discussions, which began with a smaller delegation before expanding to include other top officials, focused on Russia\’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine. The White House had framed the meeting as a \”listening exercise\” for Trump to assess Putin\’s intentions and gauge his willingness to end the war.
While a peace deal was not expected to be finalized at this summit, Trump has said he believes the meeting could set the stage for a \”trilateral\” meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at a later date. This, Trump has suggested, would be the forum where a final deal is struck.
The meeting took place without the presence of any Ukrainian officials, a decision that has drawn criticism from Kyiv and European allies who have long maintained a policy of \”nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine.\” Zelenskyy, who has repeatedly rejected the idea of ceding any territory to Russia, has expressed hope that the summit would lead to a \”real path toward a just peace.\” He has also emphasized that the necessary steps to end the war must be taken by Russia.
The leaders are expected to hold a joint news conference after the talks to outline the outcome of their discussions. The results of the summit remain uncertain, with the two sides holding firm to vastly different conditions for peace.