ANCHORAGE, ALASKA — Donald Trump, the President of the United States, and Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia, have arrived at Elmendorf Air Force Base in Alaska for a summit that everyone has been looking forward to. The goal of the meeting is to stop the war in Ukraine. Putin’s first visit to a Western country since the Russian invasion began in February 2022 was marked by the two presidents shaking hands and saying hello on the tarmac.
People think that the summit, which will have private meetings, will be a turning point in the conflict. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy to Russia Steve Witkoff are with Trump. The main purpose of the meeting is to agree on a ceasefire, which Trump has been pushing for publicly with a sense of urgency.
Expectations are high, and statements are careful.
Before the meeting, Trump made it clear that he wanted a quick answer. He said on Air Force One, “I want to see a ceasefire quickly.” I don’t know if it’s going to happen today, but I won’t be happy if it doesn’t. People kept saying it couldn’t be today, but all I want is for the killing to end.
Russian Ambassador to the US Alexander Darchiev, on the other hand, took a more balanced approach and said that Moscow had “no over-inflated expectations.” He also said that Russia wanted the talks to lead to “constant and gradual progress,” which shows that Russia is thinking about the negotiations in the long term.
The summit comes after a time of rising tensions and military action, such as recent Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian energy facilities. Many people think these actions are meant to give Ukraine a stronger bargaining position before the talks. International observers, especially Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his European allies, are keeping a close eye on what happens at the summit. They are worried about any arrangement that could leave Ukraine open to attack.