Trump, Putin meet in Alaska for talks to end Ukraine war

ANCHORAGE, Alaska,— U.S. President Donald Trump met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday for direct talks that could determine whether the war in Ukraine moves toward a ceasefire after more than three years of fighting.

The two leaders greeted each other on the tarmac shortly after Trump stepped off Air Force One. Smiling, they shook hands beside a red carpet bordered by two U.S. F-22 fighter jets.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky was not invited to the talks. Officials in Kyiv and European capitals fear the U.S. president may settle for an arrangement that would lock in Russian control over roughly one-fifth of Ukraine.

Before flying to Anchorage, Trump told reporters he would leave territorial questions to the Ukrainians. “I’m not here to negotiate for Ukraine. I’m here to get them at a table,” he said. Asked to define success, he replied, “I want to see a ceasefire rapidly. I won’t be happy if it’s not today. I want the killing to stop.”

White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy to Russia Steve Witkoff joined Trump in the initial session. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and Chief of Staff Susie Wiles were expected for the extended bilateral meeting.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told CNN that Putin’s side included Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and senior foreign policy adviser Yury Ushakov.

Putin launched a full-scale invasion on Feb. 24, 2022, advancing from the north, east, and south. The attack unsettled Europe’s post-Cold War security balance.

For Trump, an agreement could strengthen his image as a dealmaker. For Putin, the very fact of the meeting offers a chance to show that Moscow is not isolated and remains a player in major international negotiations.

Russian special envoy Kirill Dmitriev, speaking to RIA news agency, said the two leaders would address Ukraine as well as a broad set of issues in bilateral relations. He described the pre-summit mood as “combative.”

Trump, who has previously claimed he could end the conflict in a day, acknowledged on Thursday that progress would be harder to achieve than expected. He said a second round of talks — this time including Zelensky — could be even more significant if Friday’s meeting went well.

Peskov told Interfax that a trilateral summit might be possible if the Alaska talks produced tangible results. He estimated Friday’s discussions could run six or seven hours.

In Kyiv, Zelensky called for negotiations that would bring “a just peace.” He noted that Russian forces continued to attack, citing a missile strike in Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk region that killed one person and injured another.

“It’s time to end the war, and the necessary steps must be taken by Russia. We are counting on America,” Zelensky said on Telegram.

Trump described his relationship with Putin as one of mutual respect. “He’s a smart guy, been doing it for a long time, but so have I. We get along; there’s respect on both sides,” he said.

He added that while Putin brought business leaders to Alaska, trade discussions would remain on hold until the conflict ends.

According to three people familiar with internal deliberations, U.S. officials have considered the possibility of working with Russia on nuclear-powered icebreaker ships to aid gas and LNG projects in Alaska as part of potential agreements.

A source close to the Kremlin said Moscow might be open to a compromise, recognizing the economic costs of continuing the war.

Previous Reuters reporting indicated Putin could freeze the conflict along current front lines if NATO agreed not to expand further east and if some Western sanctions were lifted. NATO has maintained that Ukraine will join the alliance in the future.

Russia’s economy, heavily focused on war production, is under strain. Trump has warned of “economically severe” consequences for Moscow if talks collapse, including possible tariffs on Russian crude exports, which mainly go to China and India.

Putin this week raised the idea of negotiating a new nuclear arms control treaty to replace the final existing pact, which expires in February. The Kremlin-linked source said signs pointed toward some areas of agreement.

“Apparently, some terms will be agreed upon because Trump cannot be refused, and we are not in a position to refuse under sanctions pressure,” the person said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Putin has said he could accept a full ceasefire but wants verification procedures in place first. One possible compromise would halt aerial combat operations while talks on ground fighting continue.

Zelensky has rejected any transfer of territory to Moscow and is seeking security guarantees backed by Washington.

Public expectations in Ukraine remain low. “Nothing good will happen there, because war is war, it will not end,” said Tetiana Harkavenko, 65, a cleaner in central Kyiv. “We’re not going to give anything to anyone.”

(With files from Reuters)