WATCH LIVE - Alaska 2025: Trump and Putin Meet in High Stakes Summit
Leaders hold dramatic talks at US military base as fears grow in Kyiv over potential concessions
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US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin met Friday evening at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska for a highly anticipated summit that could shape the future of the war in Ukraine. The two leaders, arriving within minutes of each other, greeted on a red carpet flanked by American F-22 stealth fighters while B-2 bombers roared overhead in a show of US power.
Putin and Trump shook hands but did not respond to reporters’ questions, including one asking the Russian leader if he would stop killing civilians in Ukraine. The meeting took place at a base historically used to deter the Soviet Union during the Cold War, a location that has sparked speculation about symbolic messaging regarding territorial disputes.
Originally planned as a private meeting with interpreters, the format was changed at the last moment to include senior advisers.
Trump was joined by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff. Putin was accompanied by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and senior aide Yuri Ushakov. Talks are expected to last at least six hours, followed by a possible joint press conference.
Trump has stated his primary goal is to secure a rapid ceasefire in Ukraine, but Kyiv and European allies fear he may pressure Ukraine into concessions favoring Moscow.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has rejected Putin’s demand for Ukrainian forces to withdraw from remaining parts of the Donbas still under Kyiv’s control, insisting any ceasefire must include binding security guarantees.
The meeting comes as Russian forces maintain momentum in eastern Ukraine, slowly advancing despite heavy losses. A deadly Russian missile strike in Dnipro on the day of the summit underscored ongoing hostilities.
In an unusual gesture, Putin joined Trump in the US president’s armored limousine “The Beast” for transport to the talks. Russian media portrayed Trump as highly friendly toward Putin. The Kremlin has signaled that a future three way meeting with Zelensky would depend on tangible results from the Alaska summit.
Trump has sought to reassure allies that Ukraine will decide its own territorial future, but he has ruled out NATO membership for Kyiv. He hinted at possible security arrangements enforced by European peacekeepers, an idea Putin firmly opposes.
The summit was agreed to only a week ago following discussions between Putin and US envoy Witkoff. Trump has threatened “severe economic consequences” for Russia if talks fail, possibly targeting oil exports to countries such as India and China. He emphasized no new business will be done with Moscow until the war ends, despite Putin bringing a large delegation of business leaders.
Kyiv remains deeply skeptical. Ukrainian officials and citizens fear Trump’s unpredictability and past shifts in tone toward Russia. Pro Ukraine protesters in Alaska voiced concern that Washington might abandon their cause in favor of a quick settlement.
Putin’s arrival in Alaska followed a stop in the Russian Far East, where he met with local officials, youth hockey players, and laid flowers at a memorial to US Soviet cooperation in World War II, seen as a symbolic gesture toward Trump.
Russian officials added a provocative touch when Lavrov appeared in Alaska wearing a shirt referencing the Soviet Union, and RT reported serving “Chicken Kyiv” on flights as a mocking message.
With much at stake, both leaders have kept expectations deliberately vague. Trump said nothing is “set in stone” and that he would leave the talks if they were unproductive. Still, he expressed hope for progress and a follow up summit including Zelensky that he believes would be “far more critical” to ending the war.
As the discussions unfold behind closed doors, the war in Ukraine grinds on, with over a million people dead or wounded since Russia’s full scale invasion began in February 2022.
For Kyiv, the Alaska meeting represents both a slim hope for peace and a looming risk of diplomatic isolation. For Moscow, it is an opportunity to test Washington’s resolve and potentially secure terms favorable to the Kremlin’s goals.
The outcome of the Trump Putin encounter may not be known for hours, but its implications will ripple far beyond the walls of the Alaskan base, shaping the trajectory of Europe’s largest conflict since World War II.