A Russian delegation led by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has arrived in Alaska ahead of highly anticipated talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and former U.S. President Donald Trump. Lavrov noted that the Russian side will present a clear position during the discussions and expressed hope that the meeting will be productive.
Finance Minister Anton Siluanov, also part of the Russian delegation, stated that while the agenda is largely political, economic issues will also be addressed. Prior to departing for Alaska, President Putin made a visit to Magadan.
Former President Trump, commenting on the upcoming meeting with the Kremlin leader, expressed optimism. “I hope it will be constructive,” he said. “But what’s more important is the second meeting — with President Zelensky present. Some European leaders may join, or they may not. I believe the presidents of Russia and Ukraine can achieve peace. We’ll see if that’s possible.”
Trump warned that if the Alaska meeting gets off to a bad start, it will end quickly. He also mentioned the possibility of reducing U.S. military presence in Europe as part of efforts to facilitate a resolution in Ukraine.
U.S. Secretary of State also confirmed that the talks in Alaska will explore the possibility of halting active hostilities, though he emphasized that a full settlement of the conflict would require more time. Secretary of State Marco Rubio added that reaching peace would necessitate serious discussions on both security guarantees and territorial matters.
Meanwhile, protests took place overnight in Anchorage in advance of the Trump-Putin talks. Demonstrators voiced opposition to the meeting, expressing skepticism that it could contribute meaningfully to resolving the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict. Some protestors also criticized the exclusion of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky from the talks.
