Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin met today in Alaska to discuss ending the Ukraine war. The high-stakes summit brings the two leaders together for the first time since Trump returned to the White House.
The meeting kicked off at 11:30 am Alaska time at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson near Anchorage. White House officials said the talks could stretch for six to seven hours, ending with a joint press conference.
Before boarding Air Force One, Trump set clear expectations. “I think it’s going to work out very well, and if it doesn’t, I’m going to head back home real fast,” he told reporters. When asked if he would walk away from unsuccessful talks, Trump didn’t hesitate: “I would walk, yeah.”
The US team includes Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, and CIA Director John Ratcliffe. Russia brought Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Defense Minister Andrey Belousov, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov, Presidential Aide Yuri Ushakov, and Special Envoy Kirill Dmitriev.
Notably absent is Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Trump explained he’s “not here to negotiate for Ukraine” but rather to “get them at the table.” Zelensky responded on social media that Ukraine is “counting on America” while emphasizing that “it is time to end the war, and the necessary steps must be taken by Russia.”
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The central question hanging over the summit: what would a peace deal look like? Trump has mentioned the possibility of land exchanges between the countries, but acknowledged, “I’ve got to let Ukraine make the decision.” Zelensky firmly rejected territorial concessions, stating Ukrainians “will not gift their land to the occupier.”
European leaders worry about being left out of decisions that affect their security. Trump held a video call with them and Zelensky on Wednesday, but many remain concerned about what might be agreed to behind closed doors.
The choice of Alaska adds historical context to the talks. The US purchased the territory from Russia in 1867 for $7.2 million – a fact noted in coverage of the summit.
For India, the summit matters economically. The country’s Ministry of External Affairs endorsed the meeting, hoping it might influence the 25% tariffs Trump recently placed on India for buying Russian oil. Indian officials called these tariffs “unfair” and defended their oil purchases as necessary for “energy security.”
Russian forces currently control nearly one-fifth of Ukraine, giving Putin significant leverage. Trump has warned of “severe consequences” if Russia doesn’t agree to end the war, while also discussing the possibility of security guarantees for Ukraine “along with Europe and other countries” but emphasized that would not involve NATO membership.
As a red carpet was rolled out in Alaska with a platform labeled “ALASKA 2025,” the world watches to see if this meeting will bring peace or just another chapter in the ongoing conflict.
