Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Alaska for the anticipated high-level meeting with US President Donald Trump. Putin's plane landed shortly after Trump's, marking the beginning of what is expected to be a key meeting for the future of the conflict in Ukraine.
World attention is focused on this meeting with the hope that it will lead to a significant breakthrough in efforts to achieve peace in Ukraine. The main question everyone is waiting to be answered is whether there will be a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
President Trump, before departing for Alaska, expressed moderate optimism about the possibility of organizing such a meeting. He emphasized the extremely high stakes associated with these negotiations, stating:
"I will do everything possible to get the Russian and Ukrainian presidents to sit at the negotiating table".
The Kremlin reported that the meeting between Putin and Trump could last at least 6-7 hours. The talks are expected to be held in a 3-on-3 format. On the American side, in addition to President Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and White House Special Envoy Steve Witkoff will be present. The Russian delegation includes Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, as well as the Ministers of Defense and Economy.
The program for the two presidents includes:
- Working breakfast
- Official meeting with brief media access
- Joint press conference of the two leaders
President Trump has already announced that after his meeting with Putin, he will hold a phone call first with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and then with European leaders to inform them about the results of the negotiations.
This summit is seen as a potential turning point in diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict in Ukraine. World leaders and analysts are closely monitoring the developments, hoping for concrete steps towards de-escalation of tensions and the resumption of the peace process in the region.