Russian President Vladimir Putin is heading to Alaska for talks with US President Donald Trump, marking their first meeting since Trump returned to the White House in January 2025. It will also be the first-ever visit to Alaska by a Russian leader, covering all historical periods, including the Russian Empire and the USSR.
While presidential aide Yury Ushakov noted that Russia and the United States are close neighbors and the Russian delegation can simply fly across the Bering Strait, the journey is in fact a long one: the presidential aircraft will cover about 7,000 km, cross 11 time zones and the International Date Line.
The Kremlin called the venue notable in part because near Joint Base Elmendorf–Richardson in Anchorage, where the summit will be held, lies a memorial cemetery where nine Soviet pilots, as well as two servicemen and two civilians, are buried; they died between 1942 and 1945 while ferrying Lend‑Lease aircraft from the United States to the Soviet Union. Ushakov said holding the summit near such a historically significant site, which recalls the wartime brotherhood of the two peoples, is “especially symbolic in the year marking the 80th anniversary of victory over Nazi Germany and militarist Japan.”
A “historic” summit on a rapid timetable
The meeting—already dubbed “historic” by global media and analysts—has been organized on an exceptionally tight schedule. Less than a week has passed since the date and venue, which also came as a surprise to the international public, were announced. In that time, the two sides had to resolve visa formalities, choose the summit site, settle organizational and logistical issues, ensure security, and more.
Summit program
According to the agreed plan, Putin and Trump will meet at 11:30 a.m. local time (10:30 p.m. Moscow time). They will begin with a one‑on‑one conversation with only interpreters present, followed by talks over a working breakfast. Delegations will then join, but in a slimmed‑down format—five from each side—given the “very important and sensitive” topics on the agenda.
Representing Russia, in addition to Putin, will be Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, presidential aide Yury Ushakov, Defense Minister Andrey Belousov, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov, and the president’s special representative for international investment and economic cooperation, Kirill Dmitriev. A team of experts will be on hand if needed.
There is no hard end time for the summit; Ushakov said the conclusion will depend on how the discussions proceed. Putin and Trump will brief the media at a joint press conference afterward.
Anchorage hotels are fully booked, and the hosts have even arranged a temporary accommodation site for the Kremlin press pool at a local stadium. As a TASS correspondent noted, the practical inconveniences are of little concern to reporters—what matters is the news.
Ukraine and other topics
Moscow says it is approaching the talks in a focused, businesslike manner. “The negotiations will be businesslike—and naturally, that’s our overall approach,” Ushakov said when asked about the Russian delegation’s mindset as it departs for Anchorage.
He emphasized that the central topic of the summit will be resolving the crisis in Ukraine. “Undoubtedly, broader issues of peace and security will also be addressed, along with pressing international and regional challenges,” he added. The agenda will include the future of bilateral cooperation—particularly trade and economic ties between Russia and the United States—which Moscow says remain underused.
On Thursday, Putin convened a meeting at the Kremlin “on preparations for the Russian‑American summit,” attended by cabinet members, the presidential administration, the central bank chief, the mayor of Moscow, and heads of security and intelligence agencies. In the open portion of the meeting, Putin said he would brief participants “on the state of the negotiations on the Ukrainian crisis, on the bilateral talks with the Ukrainian delegation,” and on the development of relations with the Trump administration, which he said is making “substantial and sincere efforts” to resolve the crisis.
The president said the aim is to reach agreements that create long‑term conditions for peace between Russia and Ukraine and across Europe. “And globally as well—if, at subsequent stages, we reach agreements on strategic offensive arms control,” Putin concluded.
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Photo: official website of the President of the Russian Federation
Based on materials from TASS