US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin met in Alaska on Friday to discuss terms for a possible end to the Ukraine war, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff joining for three-on-three discussions.
The two leaders greeted one another just after 11 a.m. local time in Anchorage, shaking hands and exchanging brief words before participating in a photo opportunity. The two are expected to hold a joint news conference following the meeting.
Trump said he “would walk” if he felt talks were not going well, telling reporters en route to the summit — the first between a Russian and US president since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine — that he wanted a ceasefire “rapidly.”
“I don’t know if it’s going to be today, but I’m not going to be happy if it’s not today,” Trump said.
The White House sought to temper expectations for the meeting earlier in the week as reports emerged that Putin would try to widen the scope of talks to dilute discussion of Ukraine.
