Trump, Putin Meet in Alaska Amid Fears Over Ukraine Deal
Anchorage, Alaska – Former U.S. President Donald Trump stepped off Air Force One on Friday to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin for their first face-to-face talks since Trump’s return to the White House. Smiling, the two leaders exchanged greetings on the tarmac before heading into a high-stakes summit that has already stirred anxiety in Kyiv and across Europe.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who was not invited, fears Trump may strike a deal that freezes the conflict and cements Russian control over occupied territory. European allies share that concern.
Trump, however, insisted that any decision on land or peace terms would rest with Ukraine. “I’m not here to negotiate for Ukraine, I’m here to get them to a table,” he told reporters. “I want a ceasefire rapidly … I want the killing to stop.”
The summit, held at a U.S. Air Force base in Anchorage, was scheduled for 11 a.m. local time (1900 GMT). Trump was joined by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, special envoy Steve Witkoff, and senior members of his administration, including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and Chief of Staff Susie Wiles. Putin arrived with top aides of his own.
For Trump, the meeting is a chance to push for a truce in the 3½-year war and to burnish his image as a global peacemaker – something he has often linked to his ambitions for the Nobel Peace Prize. For Putin, simply being there is already a victory, reinforcing Moscow’s return to global diplomacy despite years of Western isolation.
Russian officials described the mood as “combative” but confirmed the agenda extends beyond Ukraine to broader U.S.–Russia relations. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the talks could last six to seven hours.
On the eve of the summit, Trump admitted his campaign promise to end the war “in 24 hours” had proven far tougher than expected. He suggested that if talks with Putin went well, arranging a follow-up three-way summit with Zelenskiy would be even more important.
Zelenskiy welcomed the possibility of expanded talks but stressed that Russia’s missile strikes – including one that killed a civilian in Dnipropetrovsk region on Friday – showed Moscow was still waging war. “It’s time to end the war … We are counting on America,” he wrote on Telegram.
Trump praised Putin as a “smart guy” and said the two shared mutual respect, but warned of “economically severe” consequences if talks failed. Behind the scenes, U.S. officials have weighed potential deals, including cooperation on energy projects in Alaska, while Russia has hinted at compromises ranging from a front-line ceasefire to nuclear arms control talks.
Still, doubts remain. Many Ukrainians interviewed in Kyiv were skeptical that the Alaska summit would end the bloodshed. “Nothing good will happen there,” said Tetiana Harkavenko, a 65-year-old cleaner. “The territories – we’re not going to give anything to anyone.”
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