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White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced that President Donald Trump will not meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin alone. Instead, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and his special envoy Steve Witkoff will accompany Trump. Putin will also be joined by two other high-ranking Russian officials.
The meeting on Friday aims to discuss ending Moscow’s war in Ukraine, which began in February 2022. The White House stated that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was not invited to the meeting. Trump administration officials have managed expectations, framing the talks as a “listening exercise” and “fact-finding” mission.
Trump and Putin landed in Alaska around 3 p.m. ET for their summit, which could reshape the war in Ukraine and relations between Russia and the United States. Leavitt clarified that the session will be a “three-on-three” meeting rather than one-on-one. Putin will be joined by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Yury Ushakov, a diplomatic adviser.
The meeting will include Trump, Putin, Rubio, Witkoff, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, Kirill Dmitriev (head of Russia’s sovereign wealth fund), Andrei Belousov (Defense Minister) and Anton Siluanov (Finance Minister).
Earlier on Friday, Trump emphasized the significance of the meeting. In an interview with Fox News’ Bret Baier aboard Air Force One, Trump predicted the talks would “work out very well—and if it doesn’t, I’m going to head back home real fast.” He also stated that a successful summit would involve a rapid ceasefire.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov believes there will be some easing of U.S. sanctions on Russia after the meeting. A European official told CNN that it was “a relief” Trump and Putin are not meeting one-on-one, adding that it’s “probably a reassuring development.”
Trump aims to push for a ceasefire in Ukraine during the summit, which Russia invaded without provocation three years ago. The Kremlin expects the talks to last up to seven hours.
After the summit, a joint press conference will take place.
Update: This article has been updated with additional information and context.
