The 2025 summit between former U.S. President Donald Trump and current Russian President Vladimir Putin at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska. Their goal was to address the current and urgent state of conflict in Ukraine and dialogue about new paths forward for arms control. The convening was the first direct official talks between the two heads of state since 2019. This event garnered unprecedented international attention due to Putin’s pariah status.
Fist bump with Mohammad bin Salman Accompanying Putin were other important figures in his administration, including foreign policy aide Yury Ushakov and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. With Putin’s visit came a retinue of business leaders, showing that even between acute geopolitical rivalries there may be a willingness to talk business.
Putin’s surprise visit to Alaska takes center stage. He’s presently wanted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes including the deportation of hundreds of Ukrainian children. This backdrop created an added sense of complexity and urgency to the summit, as talks occurred underneath an umbrella of international attention.
As the two leaders met on a red carpet at the base’s tarmac, their interaction was characterized by warmth, with Putin shaking Trump’s hand and touching his arm before they traveled together in Trump’s limousine to the summit site. Within an expansive conference room adorned with a colorful blue and green backdrop that boasted “Pursuing Peace,” the two heads of state engaged in deep conversation. Their discussions lasted almost three hours.
Putin expressed openness to a full ceasefire in Ukraine but emphasized the necessity for an agreement on monitoring the ceasefire conditions. He acknowledged Russia’s economic vulnerabilities and the costs associated with continuing the war, stating, “For Putin, economic problems are secondary to goals, but he understands our vulnerability and costs,” according to a Russian source.
Trump’s answer showed an understanding of the nuances at play in the debate over Ukraine while reinforcing his message of wanting peace. “I want to see a ceasefire rapidly… I’m not going to be happy if it’s not today… I want the killing to stop,” he stated during the summit. He noted, “They’re not doing business until we get the war settled,” indicating that economic relations were contingent upon progress in resolving the conflict.
Putin did discuss the war and alluded to a possible US-Russia nuclear arms control treaty. This would take the place of the last remaining regional pact, which is scheduled to expire in February 2026. This ill-conceived proposal would be damaging not only to U.S.-Russia relations, but to the security of us all.
The meeting was a notable diplomatic victory for Putin. It presented an image of Russia’s return to the center of international diplomacy. Tensions are rising even more due to continued military operations. As the latest deadly Russian ballistic missile strike in Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk region reminds us, what hangs in the balance at this summit could tip future diplomatic efforts fatally off course.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy expressed hope for positive developments stemming from the meeting, stating, “It’s time to end the war, and the necessary steps must be taken by Russia. We are counting on America.” This feeling only highlights the importance of U.S. leadership in any lasting demobilization to this conflict.