Anchorage, Alaska, August 16 , 2025
U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin exchanged a warm handshake on Friday as they kicked off a high-stakes summit in Alaska, a meeting that could shape the trajectory of the Ukraine war and redefine relations between Washington and Moscow.
The two leaders greeted each other on the tarmac at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, where a special stage was erected under a bold “Alaska 2025” banner, flanked by fighter jets and red carpets. U.S. military personnel stood at attention as Cold War-era symbols — B-2 bombers and F-22s — flew overhead in a show of strength.
Initially planned as a one-on-one, the talks have been expanded into a three-on-three format. Trump was joined by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff, while Putin was flanked by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and senior adviser Yuri Ushakov. The shift marks a more cautious approach than their 2018 Helsinki meeting, when the two leaders spoke privately with only interpreters present.
The summit will conclude with a joint press conference, where both leaders are expected to outline the outcomes of their discussions.
For Trump, the meeting is a chance to showcase his image as a dealmaker and peacemaker, a role he has long claimed he could play in ending the war swiftly. For Putin, it represents an opportunity to secure concessions that could cement Russia’s territorial gains, stall Ukraine’s NATO ambitions, and reassert Moscow’s influence over Kyiv.
Notably, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders were not invited to the talks, underscoring concerns that the summit could reshape Ukraine’s fate without its direct participation.
The meeting also carries political risks for Trump. By hosting Putin on U.S. soil, the president is extending the Russian leader the international legitimacy he has sought since Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine more than three years ago.
Ahead of the summit, Trump held a phone call with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, a close Putin ally. Belarus has supported Russia’s invasion, offering its territory as a launchpad for the initial 2022 assault. Trump said he thanked Lukashenko for releasing political prisoners and confirmed ongoing discussions on the possible release of 1,300 more.
