The Kremlin has announced that U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet privately in Alaska on Friday, with only interpreters present for the initial talks on the war in Ukraine. The high-stakes encounter will be followed by broader discussions involving both delegations, a working breakfast, and a joint press conference.
The meeting is scheduled to begin late Friday morning local time in Anchorage — corresponding to 3:30 p.m. in Washington, D.C., and 9:30 p.m. in Brussels — at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson. According to Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov, the agenda will center on resolving what Moscow calls the “Ukrainian crisis,” alongside issues of trade, economic cooperation, and global security. Ushakov said the talks will build on earlier exchanges between the Kremlin and Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff.
Russia’s delegation will feature Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Defense Minister Andrey Belousov, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov — who heads Moscow’s response to Western sanctions — Russian Direct Investment Fund chief Kirill Dmitriev, and Ushakov himself. The Kremlin noted that the exact duration of the talks will depend on the presidents, and that the Russian team will depart the U.S. immediately after the negotiations conclude.
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Ahead of the summit, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reiterated that Kyiv will not cede any territory to Russia, rejecting Trump’s earlier suggestion of potential “land swaps” as part of a peace deal. According to POLITICO, Trump told European leaders and Zelenskyy during a Wednesday call that he is open to offering Ukraine security guarantees, but under certain conditions. Later that day, Trump warned that Russia would face “very severe consequences” if Putin shows no genuine intent to end the war, though he did not detail what those consequences might be.
As of August 2025, Russia controls around 20% of Ukraine, including all of Luhansk, most of Donetsk, and significant portions of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia. Fighting remains largely stalled, with territorial changes measured in meters. Russian forces have intensified strikes using drone swarms, glide bombs, and Grad rockets, while Ukraine faces severe shortages of ammunition and personnel.
European Commission spokesperson Arianna Podestà confirmed Thursday that Trump is expected to brief Zelenskyy and EU leaders after his meeting with Putin. However, she noted that the timing would depend on the length of the talks and time zone differences.
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