Trump Meets Putin in Alaska for Ukraine Talks

President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, on Friday to begin a high stakes summit that Trump has said must show clear progress toward ending the war in Ukraine.

Trump applauded as Putin walked toward him down a red carpet laid out for his arrival. After sharing a warm handshake, both climbed into the presidential limousine — nicknamed "the Beast" — and drove together to the meeting location.

No interpreters appeared to be present, so they likely conversed in English during the short journey.

Trump claimed ahead of the summit that he'd know in "the first couple of minutes" whether Putin was serious about peace.

The presidents were previously expected to meet one-on-one, followed by a broader meeting with their delegations, but the White House said minutes before the start that the opening meeting would now be three-on-three, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and White House envoy Steve Witkoff joining Trump. That meeting is now underway.

Trump has set a ceasefire in Ukraine as his goal for the summit, telling reporters on Air Force One that he's not sure whether one will be reached, but he's "not going to be happy" if one isn't. He's also promised "severe consequences" if Putin doesn't demonstrate he's serious about peace.

Trump said he also wants to convince Putin to hold a follow-up meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky — possibly while they're all still in Alaska.

Trump said he expects to discuss issues of territorial control in Ukraine with Putin — an idea that worries Ukrainian officials — but that only Putin and Zelensky can come to any agreements.