A large “Alaska 2025” sign, flanked by four parked fighter jets and red carpets, was placed on the tarmac at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage for the leaders’ arrival.
The sit-down offers Trump a chance to prove to the world that he is both a master dealmaker and a global peacemaker. He and his allies have cast him as a heavyweight negotiator who can find a way to bring the slaughter to a close.
For Putin, a summit with Trump offers a long-sought opportunity to try to negotiate a deal that would cement Russia’s gains, block Kyiv’s bid to join the NATO military alliance and eventually pull Ukraine back into Moscow’s orbit.
Any success is far from assured, especially as Russia and Ukraine remain far apart in their demands for peace. Putin has long resisted any temporary ceasefire, linking it to a halt in Western arms supplies and a freeze on Ukraine’s mobilization efforts, which were conditions rejected by Kyiv and its Western allies.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the previously planned one-on-one meeting between Trump and Putin is now a three-on-three meeting that will include Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff. The Kremlin says it will be followed by the two delegations meeting and talks continuing over lunch. The pair are expected to hold a joint press conference.
Trump said Friday that his talks with Putin will include Russian demands that Ukraine cede territory as part of a peace deal. He said Ukraine has to decide, but he also suggested Zelenskyy should accept concessions.
Interviewed by Bret Baier of Fox News Channel aboard Air Force One as he flew to Alaska, Trump said he’d like to walk away from the meeting with a ceasefire.
He also said he’d like a second meeting on Russia’s war in Ukraine.
“I wouldn’t be thrilled if I didn’t get it,” Trump said of a halt to hostilities between the countries. He said everyone tells him he won’t get a ceasefire until a second meeting.
“So, we’ll see what happens. I’m going to be, I won’t be happy if I walk away without some form of a ceasefire,” he said.
Trump said there’s “a possibility” of the United States offering Ukraine security guarantees alongside European powers, “but not in the form of NATO.” Putin has fiercely resisted Ukraine joining the trans-Atlantic security alliance, a long-term goal for Ukrainians seeking to forge stronger ties with the West.
Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, NATO’s supreme allied commander Europe, is in Alaska to provide “military advice” to Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, according to a senior NATO military official who wasn't authorized to speak publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity. His presence is likely to be welcomed by European leaders who have tried to convince Trump to be firm with Putin and not deal over Kyiv’s head.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed, during a video address on Friday, his hope for a “strong position from the U.S.” ahead of talks between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska.
“Everyone wants an honest end to the war. Ukraine is ready to work as productively as possible to end the war, and we hope for a strong position from the U.S.,” Zelenskyy said.
The Ukrainian leader also stressed that Russia “is still killing people” despite the upcoming negotiations.
“The war continues and it continues precisely because there is no order, nor any signals from Moscow that it is preparing to end this war,” he added.
