United States President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday arrived in Anchorage, Alaska, for a high-stakes summit aimed at exploring a possible path to end the more than three-year war in Ukraine.
It is the first standalone meeting between both leaders since their 2018 encounter in Helsinki, Finland.
On arrival at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Trump and Putin were welcomed with a red-carpet reception before departing together in the US presidential limousine.
However, what was initially planned as a private one-on-one meeting was later adjusted to include top aides.
According to the White House, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff will join Trump during the discussions.
Speaking to reporters before the talks, Trump said his objective was to bring Putin “back to the negotiating table” rather than broker a settlement on Ukraine’s behalf.
He also avoided making any commitment to security guarantees for Kyiv as part of a possible deal.
“If this summit goes well, I would consider a trilateral meeting with President Zelensky,” Trump hinted.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who is not attending the talks, had said his country would be “counting on America” for support.
Putin declined to answer questions from the press before the closed-door session began.
Journalists had asked him whether he would agree to a ceasefire, commit to halting civilian casualties, and why Trump should trust him.
The Russian leader appeared visibly perplexed as multiple questions were shouted at once, and was later seen mouthing and shouting something towards the reporters, though his remarks were inaudible.
CNN
