Alaska summit: Trump and Putin shake hands in historic meeting to address war

U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin met today at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska at a historic summit aimed at exploring solutions to end the war in Ukraine, which has been going on for more than three and a half years.

The meeting, the first face-to-face meeting between the two leaders since 2019, marks a pivotal moment in Trump's efforts to fulfill his campaign promise to seek a quick resolution to the conflict.

Greetings on the tarmac

The summit began with a gesture of hospitality as Trump greeted Putin on the tarmac of the military base following the Russian leader's arrival. The two leaders shook hands cordially in front of a tarmac decorated with a large "Alaska 2025" sign, flanked by fighter jets and red carpets, with uniformed military personnel present.

According to reports from NBC News, Trump and Putin shared a brief ride in "The Beast," Trump's armored presidential vehicle, allowing them a moment of private conversation before the formal start of negotiations.

Agenda

The main agenda of the summit focuses on discussing terms for a possible ceasefire in the Russia-Ukraine war, which began with the Russian invasion in February 2022. Trump has described the meeting as a "listening exercise" and expressed to European leaders this week that his goal is to achieve a ceasefire without addressing territorial divisions.

Present at the meeting were key figures from the Russian side such as Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Defense Minister Andrey Belousov and the head of the sovereign wealth fund, Kirill Dmitriev. On the U.S. side were Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff.

Zelensky excluded, denounces Russian attacks

The exclusion of the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, from the summit is something that worries the Ukrainian leader. In that regard, he has warned that any decision taken without Ukraine's participation will be "meaningless" and will lack legitimacy.

Moreover, in a video message posted on his X account on Friday, shortly before Putin's arrival in Alaska, Zelensky said the Russian military continues to attack Ukraine even on the day of the summit.

“On the day of negotiations, the Russians are killing as well. And that speaks volumes,” he said. He added: "Recently, weʼve discussed with the U.S. and Europeans what can truly work. Everyone needs a just end to the war. Ukraine is ready to work as productively as possible to bring the war to an end.”