Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin developed a bold, comprehensive, specific agenda to multitude from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, on Tuesday. The meeting commenced at 11:32 am local time and marks the first engagement between the two leaders during Trump’s second term and the seventh overall. Key officials joined them on the march. To facilitate dialogue, Putin came with his Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Trump brought U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff.
Both leaders exited their planes full of optimism. They exchanged knowing smiles and hearty handshakes as they took their seats behind a table on a stage adorned with the words “ALASKA 2025.” Strikingly, Putin was decked out in a track suit that featured the letters “CCCP” on it, a nod to the old Soviet Union. Once they landed at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, the leaders assembled on a raised stage constructed on the tarmac. Their staged portraits brought attention to the urgency of this summit against the backdrop of rising tensions over the war in Ukraine.
The dialogue will largely center on the war in Ukraine. Once known mainly for its large factories, Zaporizhzhia has become the epicenter in this conflict, symbolizing both the human cost and the importance of Russia’s invasion. Trump underscored the need to come to an agreement on Ukraine quickly, threatening to pull support if an agreement was delayed.
“I don’t know if it’s going to be today, but I’m not going to be happy if it’s not today,” – Donald Trump.
In light of the summit’s objectives, Trump reiterated his commitment to resolving the conflict for humanitarian reasons, stating, “Economically severe. It will be very severe. I’m not doing this for my health, OK, I don’t need it. I’d like to focus on our country, but I’m doing this to save a lot of lives.”
Both leaders took part in a roundtable discussion with their respective delegations right after an initial welcome. This meeting comes on the heels of Trump’s recent phone call with Belarusian strongman President Alexander Lukashenko. In fact, he continued to commend the dialogue, labelling it a “wonderful” dialogue. He pointed out that one of the call’s purposes was to thank Lukashenko for releasing 16 opposition prisoners.
The international observer community – especially in Europe – has been captivated by the summit. UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy called this first meeting momentous for Ukraine and for the security of the Euro-Atlantic. He reiterated that Britain was absolutely committed to being alongside Ukraine at this decisive turning point.
Richard Stengel, commenting on the theatrical nature of the summit, remarked that it contributes to Trump’s “theatrical framing of the whole artificial made-for-TV ‘event.’”
Trump and Putin are plunging into these critical discussions. The stakes are incredibly high for Ukraine and the fate of the geopolitical order. The result of these discussions could have profound effects not just for Ukraine and Russia, but for their respective allies as the war continues to rage on.