by Sharon Rondeau
(Aug. 15, 2025) — The theme of the summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian president Vladimir Putin at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska Friday is “Pursuing Peace,” though Trump left open the possibility that the event could be cut short if Putin does not indicate a willingness to negotiate a ceasefire to the Russia-Ukraine war Putin initiated in February 2022.
At approximately 3:00 p.m. EDT/11:00 a.m. Alaska time, Trump’s plane landed at the military base, followed by Putin’s. Trump debarked from his aircraft first, and the two world leaders shook hands at a junction in the red carpet set down for that exact moment.
Both men smiled, and Trump gave Putin a pat on the shoulder as they appeared to engage in cordial conversation during the short walk to “the Beast,” which would take them to the summit location.
The last time the two men were face-to-face was in Helsinki, Finland on July 16, 2018.
In recent weeks Trump has expressed displeasure with Putin’s reported verbal assurances of his desire to end the war as his military yet continues to lob missiles at Ukraine, particularly into civilian areas.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky will not attend Friday’s summit. However, should it prove fruitful, Trump said on Tuesday and again on Friday he will look forward to a second meeting among Putin, Zelensky, and key European leaders with a stake in the outcome.
On Friday morning Trump acknowledged the importance of the summit with a Truth Social post reading simply, “High Stakes.”
Should Putin refuse to work toward a peace agreement, Trump said, the U.S. will impose “severe consequences” on Russia which could signal even more stringent economic sanctions.
An after-summit press conference is scheduled with both leaders dependent on the outcome of the conversation, which is reportedly progressing as of 4:06 p.m. EDT/12:06 Alaska time.