1:02President Donald Trump welcomes Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, Aug. 15, 2025, at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska.Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images
The Alaskan summit between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, which commenced with an introduction on the runway, quickly transitioned into a private bilateral discussion.
The ongoing summit between these global leaders—known for previously convening without other government officials or aides present, only interpreters—was initially anticipated to be an exclusive one-on-one meeting.
However, earlier on Friday, as Trump arrived, it was announced that he would be accompanied by Special Envoy for the Middle East Steve Witkoff and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, according to a White House representative.
Putin was expected to be joined by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov, a Kremlin spokesperson informed Russian state media.
President Donald Trump welcomes Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, Aug. 15, 2025, at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska.Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images
The leaders met in person on Friday in Anchorage for a crucial summit as the U.S. aims for a ceasefire in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict.
For an extended working lunch, the president was expected to be joined by Rubio, Witkoff, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, and White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, as stated by a White House official.
This summit signifies Putin’s first visit to the U.S. in a decade.
One notable figure absent from the meeting at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson is Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Trump expressed on Thursday his hope that this summit will pave the way for a subsequent meeting that would involve Zelenskyy.
Editor’s note: This article has been amended to clarify that Joint Chiefs Chairman Caine was not part of the bilateral meeting.
Sourse: abcnews.go.com
