Trump and Putin Begin Alaska Summit on Ukraine War
U.S. and Russian leaders began direct talks at Elmendorf Air Force Base, with Trump pushing for "immediate peace" while Putin seeks to break Western isolation. The meeting comes as Ukraine continues battlefield resistance after 2+ years of war.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin opened talks in Alaska on Friday, aiming to address the devastating war in Ukraine and broader bilateral relations between Washington and Moscow.
Journalists were asked to leave the meeting hall shortly after Trump, Putin, and senior officials from both delegations took their seats against a backdrop emblazoned with the words “Seeking Peace.”
Both leaders arrived in Anchorage, Alaska, earlier in the day, where they exchanged a formal handshake on the airport tarmac. The reception featured a red carpet welcome following the landing of the Russian presidential aircraft.
The U.S. delegation included Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Pessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, and CIA Director John Ratcliffe.
On Thursday, Trump voiced optimism about his meeting with Putin while acknowledging the possibility of failing to reach an agreement on Ukraine. Speaking to Fox News Radio, the U.S. president stressed that his priority was a swift resolution.
“I am more interested in an immediate peace deal — a quick peace agreement — between Russia and Ukraine,” Trump said. “Depending on what happens in the meeting, I will call Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and invite him to our meeting venue.”
War Enters Its Third Year
Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, demanding that Kyiv abandon any plans to join Western military alliances — a condition Ukraine rejects as interference in its sovereign affairs.
The Alaska summit takes place against the backdrop of more than two years of intense fighting, mounting casualties, and growing international pressure to find a negotiated end to the conflict.
